Kingdom Hearts: A Journey of the Heart
by Diamonds.Rio.Grande
Summary: Pinto's life has been turned upside down. Now she has to save the worlds from darkness, with the help of her friends. Here she discovers the strength of love, and learns the truth about herself and the others around her- and the true powers of the heart.
1. Dreams and Memories

Hey

**Hey! This is the beginning of the 'saga' of Pinto and her friends, and their struggle, along with Sora, to save the worlds. **

**I'd like to start it off by dedicating this story to my bestest friend in the whole wide 'worlds', Sora-Oathkeeper-Oblivion. Without Sora, I would have never started this story at all! **

**Hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Disney or any trademarks mentioned **

**CHARACTERS: **

**Chiyoake (Pinto): Earth-Daybreak, fourteen (our main heroine!) **

**Kazeshima (Kaze): Wind-Island, fourteen **

**Karohane (Karo): Light-Feather, sixteen **

**Hihoshi (Hoshi): Fire-Star, fifteen**

_**Dreams and Memories**_

_I think I knew all along, that I had power within me –Chiyoake (Pinto) _

"Oh Pinto!"

The feeling of sand pressed firmly beneath my back was the only thing I could tell through my disorientation.

"Or should I say, bikini babe!"

But I was pretty sure that was Kaze.

I groaned, and opened an eye, blinking against the unbearably bright sun I now stared directly up into.

"Sleeping? When we've got so much to do?"

I focused on the peaches-and-cream blue sky instead, as sleep cleared from my head like the fluffy, pillow-soft clouds that floated lazily across the early summer sky.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes with a hand, as grains of sand fell from it. Kaze loomed over me, her face blurring as my eyes adjusted. She came into focus, with her pale brown eyes, short flyaway hair, and petite figure. Her demanding brightness and strong personality was all I could manage as I pulled from the sleepy, muggy trance.

Behind Kaze, beautiful green-blue waters of the tropics stretched into the horizon, breathtaking and picture perfect. In a rhythmic lulling, the water lapped up along the beach I lay upon, so clear the white blond sand was visible far out into the swallowing blue.

"Don't… make me move… It's all too perfect." I said, shutting my eyes and letting the sounds of distant birds calling and the warm breeze carry me off again. "You'll wake me up… and it'll all be gone…"

"Oh, don't give me that. You've been saying that for the past five years, every time I find you lazing your butt off down here."

She had her hands on her hips, staring down at me without sympathy when I opened my eyes again.

Groaning, I blinked and shook myself free of all sleep. "You've got to admit, it's pretty amazing though…isn't it?" I folded up my legs and slowly stood up, tugging at the back of my bathing suit top to ensure I was rid of all irritating sand.

Kaze waved it off with her hand, already moving ahead, both in her steps and in conversation. "Yeah, Yeah, what ever."

Following behind and brushing off my jean shorts, I turned away from the captivating sea, the sand temptingly warm beneath my feet. We were walking nearly under the bridge, made of wooden planks that connected a small plateau a couple yards out into still-shallow water.

"What are we doing?" I arched my back and stretched out my stiff arms.

We had passed under the bridge, and stood by a door built into a wooden wall. Kaze turned around, the back to the door, contemplating.

"Going to find Riku."

I straightened. "Why would we want to do that?"

"Hmm, only because he's leading this expedition." She tilted her head, giving me her 'duh' look. I had been getting that very frequently over the past seven years.

"He's not leading the 'expedition', or whatever you want to call it, and why would we need to see even if he was?" I hope she noted my irritation.

She rolled her eyes, the magenta flecks in them flashing in the broad light. "Oh, you'll see." She took on a more roguish look. "Plus, I need to do something else…"

"Today's the day, then?" I asked dryly.

She nodded, turning around to face the way we came, before flashing me a mischievous grin. "It's now or never!"

Raising an eyebrow, I gave her my opinion I knew she didn't want. "Well, prepare to get your ass whooped."

Ignoring me, she mumbled under her breath, "Where is he? I think he's on the pavilion…"

I smacked my hand against my head. "For the last time, a pavilion is a sheltering building, like the one at the park, on the main island! Not a little mini plateau!"

But Kaze was skipping ahead.

With a sigh, I followed. Like slinking darkness, I tried to identify what was now suddenly bothering me, contrary to the sunny day. I couldn't quite grasp it. It was there, like a shadow lurking in the back of my mind, with no fibers to grasp onto, but evidently existing. It might have been something I had experienced in a dream…or so I had thought. A feeling maybe, or something of the past. As soon as the eerie feeling came, it left, leaving only myself in its absence.

Bordering the beach was the higher ground, shaped into a short drop of rock wall supports. There was a plank of wood that was leaned against the wall, a ramp to climb up. Farther down, only a very short ways, were the docks, with steps attached. But this was shorter.

With a shake of my head that didn't really rid of the unwanted follower in my mind, I darted up the wooden plank, the board bending dangerously beneath my weight as I took on bouncy step in the middle, before leaping upon to the hard packed dirt. Trotting past the little waterfalls that splashed and misted into a small fountain pool, I stepping into the Seaside Shack, a small, simply built shack at the edge of the beach. I crept up the dark stairs with their worn and bent steps, and burst through the door at the top the curving staircase. Stepping onto the bridge and trotting across, I avoided with second nature the broken boards bearing the end of it.

On the 'pavilion' or, plateau, stood Riku, Sora, Kairi, and Kaze.

"What's up?" I said, slightly breathlessly. I was more eager to be here if Sora and Kairi were present.

Riku met me with a cool stare, as he leaned against the oddly bent tree that leaned out over the water. A Paopu tree. Its fruit were of an interesting shape, resembling a star, and when ripe, a rich, banana yellow. There was a little bit of a story that came with the sharing of a Paopu fruit. It had told that whomever you share the Paopu with, your destinies shall be intertwined.

"You won't believe what you're sister has just done." Sora leaned over and whispered in my ear. He had brown, casually disarrayed hair that stuck out in every which direction, giving him a playful, sweet look. In his case, looks were not deceiving.

I looked over at Kaze, who was looking pumped, and even more on fire than usual. Only I could tell beneath her show, she was nervous. I wondered if Riku could too.

"I think I already know." I whispered back, my eyes on her.

"He's going to do it." Sora's eyes betrayed excitement, mixed with a little bit of worry.

"Our poor Kazey baby." I said only half mockingly.

"Hey, it's not nice to keep secrets." There was an arm wrapped over my shoulder, and the other around Sora's. Kairi poked her head out between us, smiling.

"I think she's crazy." I stated, my voice barely above a whisper.

Kairi's pretty eyes twinkled. "Let her try." She tilted her head so that it rested on my shoulder. "Hey, you never know," she straightened and lifted her arms off us. "She might actually give Riku a real surprise."

"Are we gonna start this thing or what?" Riku jumped up, flexing his muscles.

_He's so cocky! _

Kairi flitted over to them, smiling. "All right. Play fair!" She winked at Kaze as she handed Kaze her wooden sword, which Kaze must have picked up on her way through the shack.

I looked at Sora, who's cheeks had gone ruddy with Kairi's bold move. "You're so lucky I'm here." And by the way he ducked his, I knew he knew what I meant.

I turned my attention to the battle that was about to begin. "Are you sure she won't shimmy up a palm tree the moment it begins?" I asked Sora, my eyes on the two figures, standing opposite each other, tension pulsing from them in quick, short vibes. Kaze's face was one of complete anticipation, as she clamped her sword tightly.

It had been years of harassment and listening to Kaze go on about how good Riku was at sword play, and how one day she would battle against him. Over the past year and in more recent months, she talked about it more frequently, driving me to near insanity. I was glad it was finally going to come to an end. Still, whether she won or lost, I would have to hear about _that _too forever. And a small part of my mind asked if she was really ready.

Kaze had a way of underestimating things. Thinking she or something else for that matter was better, more ready, that sort of thing than she/it was. It wasn't her being stuck up, it was Kaze's way of life. She moved on to things so quickly, and circled the world at the speed of life, her brain moving fast than reality really did.

Either way, the cards would play fate. Unless Kaze really did pull something out of the hat today, and she dealt the hand.

And it was about to all be known.

"Go!"

The battle was on.

Kaze leapt at Riku instantly. He lifted his sword and threw himself into a jarring block that sent Kaze stumbling backwards and tripping, before tumbling down. Using this as an advantage, he took one giant jump, and lay a blow to Kaze, then another, before she rolled away, swiping hard at the back of his legs, catching him at the tender part where his knees bent. He fell, and I silently cheered, punching the air.

Kaze scrambled up, standing ready and breathing hard. Riku was down hardly a second, and to my surprise, was curled up in a ball on his back. Kaze stood for moment, lost too at Riku's bizarre move.

So when he suddenly hit her in flash of bright colour, she was knocked down like a toothpick.

I was barely aware of Sora sucking in a sharp breath.

Riku stood above her as she disoriented, struggled up. My heart was in my throat. Riku rained a light blow upon her, his tall figure showing no mercy.

I didn't know how, but Kaze somehow managed to get up, and was backing across the small circular space like a rocket, her sword up and ready.

"Don't tell me you're giving up already." Riku sneered, his icy blue eyes hard as rock, as he advanced after her, like a cat stalking its prey.

But something in the way he was acting was scaring me. It made my heart jump, and I knew this fight was more than an every day battle that the rest of us shared between us. More than a fight of skills, or pride.

Riku was taking this way too seriously.

I felt my heart swell with pride as Kaze crouched, in her too-small faded blue shorts and baggy tank top, yet fiercer then the blazing sun.

Riku took easy leap at her, clearing halfway across the area, easily avoiding the few measly palm trees.

Kaze dodged out behind one and clipped him hard in the back, and gave him a couple more good solid blows. He in return attempted a hockey punch with his sword at her face, though she ducked and got him hard in the stomach.

Riku was getting rougher with every move, and Kaze was gaining ground when it came to dealing blows. After she hit him hard and danced away, barely missing Riku's wild thrust, it seemed to be the last straw. With a load grunt of outrage, he seemed to totally lose control, and smashed the sword, which seemed so weak and flimsy in his powerful hands, into the side of her face with blinding speed.

"Hey!" I leapt out "That's not playing fair!"

"Riku!" Kairi exclaimed.

Kaze staggered, her body swaying from the impact to her head. Her mouth seemed to open for a second, and a tiny breath puffed out, before she fell to her knees.

"Kaze!" Sora and I reached out for her at the same time.

But Riku wasn't done. A whole rage seemed to engulf him, as he lifted the sword high above his head, and point facing down, crashing it into her back.

She cried out the same time I raced for Riku, knocking the sword from his grasp. He turned to me, and I felt a cold fear pierce through me when I saw the fire of blackness burning in his eyes.

"Riku, it's just a game! Leave her alone!" Sora shouted, as he reached my side.

"Kaze!" Kairi dropped to Kaze's side, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

With Kairi in Riku's sight, the fire slowly dimmed.

Kaze put her head up, and with the help of Kairi and me, slowly stood. Riku watched, emotionless.

"What is you problem!" I turned and screamed in his face, my hand ready to slap him hard.

He jumped forward, the spark re-igniting. "You don't know me!"

Sora threw himself between us, holding his hands up. "GUYS!"

I held the viscous gaze with Riku a second longer, wanting nothing more then to take out the fury that ran through my veins on him physically. Without a word, I turned away, disgusted with him.

"You okay?" I asked Kaze softly, whom now stood without help from a confused and upset Kairi. When I met a glance with the auburn-headed girl, she looked from Kaze to Riku, then to me, her lip quivering a tiny bit, eyes wide, and with a single blink, banishing away tears.

The air was filled with hurt and uncertainty and tension as I turned away, a quickly strengthening Kaze at my side, who turned and looked about, bewildered and unsure. But she followed me still, as I walked over the bridge and left them standing, without so much as a backward glance.

XxXxX

"Are we done here?" Kaze asked, as we sat on the 'deck' an hour later. She had tied together all our provisions we had collected over the course of a couple weeks.

Bags and containers of food, water, toiletries, and various other items were scattered around me, as I leaned up against the railing wall, with Kaze facing me in the middle.

While she had been organizing everything, I had been remembering the dream. Slipping into an oblivion of confusion, a world completely separate of the one I was in. It was like I was fighting to stay awake, the way I tried not to be sucked into its dark void.

"I think so." Even as I speak, it is there again, like water clogging my brain, shattered pieces of an understanding consuming me again, coming together.

_I was standing in the dark. No light, nothing around me._

_**So much to do. So little time.**_

_The voice was anonymous, both deep and light, soft and strong. I looked around, I couldn't tell where it came from. _

_**Take your time. Don't be afraid. **_

I was back, sitting on the wood planked floor. "I'm just so worried that I might be forgetting something." Kaze was thoroughly involved in the packing, so, as she didn't notice my lack of an answer or the fine sheen of sweat across my face, my heavy breathing.

_**The door is still shut. **_

"Oh! I almost forgot! Must pack the coconuts! See this is why I'm worried. I think Hihoshi is supposed to get more coconuts too. Though we can't exactly count on her, can we…"

_**Now, step forward. Can you do it? **_

_I step forward, hesitant. Where am I?_

_Beneath my foot, the darkness changes, into birds, taking flight, gray doves. As the birds fly, free, one by one, they reveal, glass beneath me, a figure, of a girl, pale skin, pale as snow, dark hair, an apple in her hand, about to bite it. The surrounding, yellow. It's a circular platform, around it, nothing. Darkness. _

_The birds are gone. Where are they? Where did they go? There must be some place else besides all the darkness. But the birds were the darkness, and then they weren't. It's disillusioning. _

_But still, there is the lightness, the colour of the platform. The beautiful girl. It gave me strength, comfort. But everything else it dark. Even the picture, in the glass, the platform, it is isolated. Confusing. A dark beauty. I was scared. _

"Damn! I wish we could bring limes. And lemons. Can't live without 'em! Then we could make our awesomely famous drink! Limes, lemons, sugar, water, a hint of that fizzy grapefruit juice, and our secret ingredient…"

_**Power sleeps within you. **_

_I think I knew. That there was power. I've felt it. Fractions of it. That there was something special about me. Or amiss. Does it really matter? I've known I was different. I've felt the power. I think I've always known. Power… _

_**If you give it form, it will give you strength. **_

_With a shock wave that makes me stumble backwards, pedestals, push their way through, forcing through the glass pattern, that I fear will break, and I will spiral down to nothing. But it doesn't. Now three pedestals stand, and with a spark of light I can hear, something has formed on each. One has a sword. The other a wand, the last, a shield. _

_**Choose well. **_

"I made sure to bring as little as we need when it came to toiletries. No toothbrushes, for one. I mean, we'll be floating on the ocean! And I didn't bring face clothes or anything. What help will that do? I mean, we'll be floating the sea!"

_Choose? How am I to choose? Why am I to choose? _

_The first thing closest is the sword. With trembling hands, I lift it up, uncertain. _

_**The power of the warrior. **_

_**Invincible courage. **_

_**A sword of terrible destruction. **_

_**Is this the power you seek? **_

_Do I want it? _

_To always have courage? _

_Strength? _

_Is terrible destruction what I want? _

_What I desire? _

_What I need? _

_Am I a warrior? _

_No. _

_I'm not a warrior. _

_Kaze is the warrior. _

_Not me. _

_I don't want to be the hand of destruction, fear, invincible greatness. _

_It's not for me. _

_No. _

"What will we eat? I mean, I know that. Fish, coconut milk, the inside of the coconut, that sort of stuff, but what I mean is that, won't we get tired of it? Won't we miss Karo's gourmet cooking, or mom's wacky recipes? Will it be very filling? Good gracious, will we starve?"

_I've dropped the sword back. I go to the wand. I can feel the power pulsing from it as my skin nearly touches it. And then I do. _

_**The power of the mystic. **_

_**Inner strength.**_

_**A staff of wonder and ruin. **_

_**Is this the power you seek? **_

_Mystic. _

_Mystic power. _

_It sounds good and tempting. _

_I like mystic. _

_Inner strength. _

_That's what I posses. _

_That's what I live off of._

_That is me. _

_Wonder and ruin? _

_That is what speaks to me._

_I love wonder and ruin. _

_But I would rather stand and watch wonder and ruin._

_Not be behind it. _

_Not be the creator._

_I will see wonder and ruin. _

_I have seen wonder and ruin, though I do not know where. _

_I will always love it. _

_But I will not create it. _

_No. _

"Look, I know I'm freaking out right now, and worrying, but it's not me! I don't do that! And I know that for years you've tried to get me to see that! And I do now! And I don't worry. That's your job. I'm turning into you! And believe me, I don't like walking in your shoes! They're stiff and uncomfortable, but I can't help it! I'm actually worrying! I don't like worrying!"

_Not the wand. Though it was close. The next thing is a shield. There's something drawing me towards it. I'm not as hesitant. It seems much less harmless then the other two. They were weapons. This is protection. _

_When it is in my hands, it feels right. _

_**The power of the guardian.**_

_**Kindness to aid friends. **_

_**A shield to repel all.**_

_**Is this the power you seek? **_

_Is it? _

_The guardian? _

_Am I a guardian? _

_Kindness? _

_It gives me kindness?_

_To aid friends? _

_It sounds weak. _

_Measly. _

_Petty. _

_But it sounds like me. _

_I may be weak._

_I may be petty._

_But I don't feel that way._

_It takes strength. _

_More strength than others think. _

_To protect something._

_To repel all. _

_There it is. _

_The strength. _

_The others I could use in destruction. _

_In ill-intention. _

_But this one I can too. _

_I can repel everything. _

_I can live in a shell._

_I can be empty. _

_But I won't. _

_I will be protecting something. _

_I don't know how I know this. _

_I don't know what it is. _

_But I will. _

_I will protect. _

_Yes. _

_I will protect. _

"I don't know what did it, but something put me on the edge today. Made me like this, Pinto. Frazzled. Upset. My insides are churning. My heart is twisting. Have you ever felt like that before?"

_I feel strong with shield in my hand. Like I didn't know myself before. And I have just discovered a little piece of me. _

_**Your path is set. **_

_My shield disappears. Gone. I want it. I spin around, looking for it. Though it may be gone, I still feel as though the power is there. That it will never go away. _

_**Now, what will you give up in return? **_

"Actually…Pinto, I think I know. I think you know too. You always know. You know things about other people before they know it themselves. You understand. You know."

_What will I give up? Why? But I think I understand. To move forward, you have to let go of something. To have something, you must give up another. It is life. Sacrifice. Life is full of sacrifice. _

_I am understanding a lot of things now. Did I know them before? I'm not sure. Maybe I did. Deep down inside. It has taken this though to see. Will I make it back home? Was it really home? I think I always felt different there. Like I was the opposite tide. I don't belong. Not yet. I need to learn who I am. How I came to be. Things were an illusion there. Though I'm not upset. Not sad. I understand. Just a little. I won't ever understand fully. But…that is where my journey began. And now it is time to spread my wings. Find a place I can fit in my skin. Know the person within me. _

_These thoughts are scaring me. They are scaring the girl who thinks she is herself. I feel as though I am looking back. Yet 'she', I, feel as though I am looking forward. Maybe it's both. I won't understand until I am at the end. I won't understand until I am at the beginning. Maybe I'll never understand. _

_But what will I give up? _

_I will give up what I need the most. _

_I want the wand. It is connected to me as the shield seems to be. The sword…is what I lack. The sword…is my polar opposite. My other me. My opposite twin. It has what I need to be invincible. If I have it, I will have all. _

_But I won't. You can't have everything. If I had all three, I would be lacking something. Be weaker. I would be the weakest with all three. _

_If I have the sword, it will not make me, me. It will not make me what I want. It will not make me who I am. Who I am destined to be. Who I choose to be. _

_I need the sword. _

_It need its strength and ambition, because I do not have it. _

_I do not have it in that form. _

_So I must give it up. It is something I will know when I fight for those qualities. I will earn them myself. Get a taste of what they are. _

_That is what I need. _

_So I must give the sword up._

_It will do nothing but destroy me. _

_I choose to give up the sword. _

_I hold it in my hand, feel its power and whispering secrets. Its promises of invincible power. But I hear its whispers of warning. And everything is confirmed. _

_I choose to give up the sword. _

_I choose to give up the sword. _

_I choose to give up the sword. _

"Sometimes it makes me wonder. Who are you really? I know you better than anybody, but I know the outside girl. I can feel, there is something else beneath you. I know other people can feel it too. Kairi can, I think, and…Riku knows. Riku knows who you are. Maybe he's seen glimpses. I…I have too."

_**You've chosen the power of the guardian. You've given up the power of the warrior. Is this the form you choose? **_

_Yes. _

"But it's not your fault. Sometimes, I wonder if I know myself too. If I'm a storm just ready to be released. And I know sometimes it scares you. Because it scares me too. Sometimes, I think I understand. Other times, I wonder, what you'll really be like."

_The pedestals are crushing down, forcing their way back to where they came from. This time, my fears are confirmed. _

_The glass shatters. It starts and the edge furthest to me. Tiny shards of yellow glass, leaping up, then falling. The wave is making its way to me, as the beautiful girl is broken, left in a thousand little pieces. The shattering glass reaches my feet, and now there is nowhere to go…but down. _

_I'm falling. It's terrifying. Falling through blackness, suffocating, crushing, empty. _

_I want to stop. I want to wake up. Now. Now! NOW! _

"But you…scare me sometimes. I want to know you. But, what if I don't like what I find? But I don't think that now. I think you're good. I know you're good. That the…power, within you, is still you, only stronger. I love you, and you're my sister, no matter what anybody else will say.

_Kaze…_

"Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm crazy. But I do know that you are more powerful than anybody thinks. And you know things. That's what I'm certain about you."

_My eyes are open, and I look down, both praying that there is something down there to stop my fall, and that there isn't so I don't shatter my legs. _

_One prayer came true. Bellow me is another glass platform, blue this time, with another beautiful girl. _

_I expect to land hard, to feel pain. With my landing is slowed, and I drop to the ground on my feet, legs shaky, feeling as though they could collapse any moment. _

_I'm not as scared this time. But I don't know what will happen next. _

_This girl is wearing a blue dress. She's blond. Delicate. Elegant. The other girl gave me a feeling that she was doomed. She made me feel tragedy, want, and dread. This girl makes me feel wonder. Hope._

_**You've gained the power to fight. Use this power to protect yourself –and others. There will be a time when you have to fight. **_

_There are black splotches on the glass, like ink blots. But they are moving. Taking shape. They are little creatures that rise, black, with legs, arms, hands, feet, claws, a little round torso, a round head, antennas bobbing, hungry yellow eyes. _

_If I weren't so scared, I would find them very cute. _

_**Keep your light burning strong. **_

_They crouch, dance, weary and fueled. One leaps at me, and suddenly I have shield in hand. I hold it up, and the creature bounces off the shield, deceived, for now. Another gets me from behind, leaving a long scratch down the back of my arm, where blood slowly rises. It hurts like the devil. _

_But there are still more. _

_There is a time to fight. _

_This is my time to fight. _

_Swinging the shield as one once again jumps towards me, I finds the hard edge hurts the little creatures. Standing with my feet braced, I swing it at any creature, more or less waving it about wildly. The sounds of clanging and they shield pounding the creatures dims, until I find myself once again alone. _

_On the ground though, they're two types of tiny little orbs. One is green. The other yellow. Without thinking, I pick them up. The green soaks into my hand, runs up my arm. I cry out, appalled, but my stinging arm ceases, the blood stopped, the wound closed. The yellow slowly changes to a single gold coin in my hand. I keep it clenched tightly in my fist. _

_**Behind you! **_

_Whirling around, I am met by another creature, soaring through the air and tackling me hard in the stomach. _

_I fight until it is gone, quick and tactless. _

_There is a black blob now, and it starts at my feet, then swallows the girl and the rest of platform, a surging wave of black consuming the soft blue. _

_And once again, I am falling. _

"I really can't wait to set sail. I'll miss home so much…but I feel so caged. I want to really, see the worlds, I want to learn. It's our chance to finally break free!"

_I land again, this time on platform of pink, a girl with long blond hair, her eyes shut. _

_I felt strength beneath loss. A weight pulling me down I had to break free of. _

_And then I saw the door. It was tall, and looked heavy to open. But what caught my eyes the most was the light seeping through the cracks. _

_Light. _

_I took two steps forward, the sound of my shoes tapping against the strong glass the only thing that reached through the heavy stillness. For now, only I were there. _

_As I neared the door, I could see through to the other side –the rest of the platform. There was nothing behind the door. Then why was there light coming from it? There was no light on the other side of the platform…_

"Finally, a place to go, somewhere new! I want to…I want to find myself there. I want to discover who I am on this journey. I think –I hope I will."

_Behind me there is a thud. I jump, heart in my throat, ridged with fear. I turn around as fast as I can, and almost tumble. _

_It's only a treasure box. Strange. I can't imagine where it could have come from. But then, everything about this is strange. And terrifying, in a quiet, calm _

_way._

_I step up to the box, and lift the shield, gently tap the box, as to see if I get an idea of what is in there. I start when the lid pops open, to show a tiny bottle at the bottom. I pick it open, and look it over as though it is filled with poison. _

_Potion _

_Is all it says. _

_Behind me, there is another, louder thud, and I am less afraid, when I turn around to see a crate. Something tells me to hit it. It may be my violent side, but I obey. It cracks apart, sending pieces of wood everywhere. Left behind is a little package. And item. Another potion. So it says when I open it. _

_A barrel is sent down, dropped from up above, or whatever direction it is. I can't tell by now. I lift the barrel, wondering what it might give me. Not that I care. One of these times it might be poison. So, with all my might, I throw it over the edge. And it is gone. Never coming back. Because I do not know what lies below. _

_And the door is wretched open. A blinding light spills out, which intrigued me before, I now feel wary of it. I can't look into it, so I hold up my hands, and pushing aside any other feelings, step into it. It must be better than all of the darkness. _

"But I'm afraid too. I'm afraid to step out of the ordinary. Just a little bit. I don't want anybody to know. I hate being afraid. It could ruin what might be the best thing that will ever happen to me."

_**Hold on. The door won't open just yet. **_

_And it was all gone. I was no longer standing on the platform, in darkness. I was on the deck, looking out to see. I thought I was back. Free of the dream. In reality. But Kaze wasn't there. Instead, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka stood, looking at me. _

"_Where's Kaze?" I ask, but they don't hear. Or maybe they don't care. _

_**First, tell me a little about yourself. **_

"_What's going on." I turned to Selphie, practically begging for an answer. I was sick of all this. I wanted back. I wanted home. I had lost all insight. I no longer cared. _

"_What's most important to you?" Selphie asked, twirling her bracelet casually, as though she was sitting on the docks, everything normal. _

_What?_

_I thought for a moment. I didn't have a strong sense of pride. Winning, being the best, even people liking me had little prize to me. _

_Material items, some were special. I always had issues sharing. But you can't take things like that when you go. _

_I wanted to make a mark in life. I wanted to be happy. My happiest times were with my friends. Memories of happy times got me through rough patches in life. And they always would. I would go to the ends of the worlds for my friends, though they didn't know that. _

_It seemed as though the answer was pretty obvious. _

"_Friendship." I whispered softly. _

"_Is friendship such a big deal?" Selphie crinkled her nose. _

_I turned away, biting back a retort. I nearly smacked into Wakka, who was standing in his classic position, hands behind head. _

"_What do you want outta life?" he asked in his heavily Caribbean accented voice. _

_I wanted to see things. I wanted to understand things. I wanted rare beauty of the untouched burned in my memory. The words floated from my lips like a breeze, without my consent. _

"_To see rare sights." My eyes burning towards the horizon. _

"_To see rare sights, huh?" they all seemed to be scoffing my choices. _

_I turned to Tidus, defiant. _

"_What are you gonna say to me." I had my hands on my hips. Actually, this was what I was afraid of. Something was seriously wrong if Tidus didn't do what I normally he would do. _

_And that was fall head over heels for me. _

"_What are you afraid of?" he asked, as casual as the rest. And my heart sank. These people weren't the real Tidus, Wakka, or Selphie. They were some type of cloned imposters. _

_What am I afraid of? A lot of things. For one, something like this dream happening. _

_But…I didn't want to make bad choices. I was afraid of crossroads in my life. _

"_I'm afraid of being indecisive." I said, slowly, reasoning. _

"_Being indecisive? Is that so scary?" fake Tidus said. _

"_Imposter." I spat. _

_He looked at me blankly, as though I hadn't spoken. _

_**You want friendship. **_

_**You want to see rare sights. **_

_**You're afraid of being indecisive. **_

"What are you afraid of, Pinto? It doesn't seem like you ever really have fears. Real fears. Not fear of the dark, or spiders, but of things so scary you don't want to think of them. But you are reminded everyday, that everybody has fears. So what is yours?"

_**You're adventure begins at midday. Keep a steady pace and you'll come through fine. **_

_**The day you open the door is both far off and very near. **_

_And I was gone from the 'island' and back onto the girl with the pink dress' platform. The door was gone. _

_The creatures appeared, but that's not what caught my eye. It was light, sweeping across the platform, and showing stairs that I were certain weren't there before. _

_They curved and lead up to another platform, it's stain glassed windows glowing sinisterly from the dark. _

_I stood at the foot of the staircase, looking at the stairs dubiously. It looked like they were made of stained glass, and were hovering in the air. I couldn't see anything holding them out. But looking behind me, hordes of the creatures were assembling, slowly making their way towards me. _

_I hurriedly put my foot down on the first stair, and did a quick check of its sturdiness. Solid. _

_And so I darted up the stairs, fear pumping in my veins. For there was no railing, and if I fell off the step…_

_My fear of falling into the nothingness was almost overwhelming. _

_I had broken out into a cold sweat by the time I reached the top, the dangerous but beautiful staircase gone when I turned around. _

_There was no way back. _

_This platform had a girl in a rose yellow dress, dancing with some kind of beast in fine coats and tails. This time, I felt love, affection, a gratefulness. _

"It's…interesting, how this turned into an all out confession…but you…you're the only person I'd ever want to talk about this with. When I talk to you, it feels natural. I don't feel bad about being afraid or, anything like that. So thanks Pinto. Thanks for everything."

_**The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes. **_

_I looked behind me, and I could see my shadow, stretching out, lengthening, and then getting wider, until it changed shape altogether. I was horrified, disgusted, when it took shape into a massive creature, with a huge, bulking frame, ugly, massive hands, the shape of a red heart burned into its chest. But the worst thing was, the withering tentacles that came from its face, surrounding, dead, angry yellow eyes. _

_**But don't be afraid. And don't forget… **_

_I turned and ran, a scream blocked in my throat. But I was standing at the edge, and I teetered, trying to regain my balance as I stared down into the black depths of nothing. _

"_Solace!" I screamed out, praying he would hear me. "SOLACE!" he had to hear me. He had never failed. "SOLACE! HELP ME!" _

_There was no answer._

_So my only option was to fight. _

"I wish there was something I could do for you. You never falter. You never fade. It's like…there's nothing you need."

_I went for the hand. It was the only thing I could reach. Using my shield viscously, he didn't do anything, didn't even seem to see me at his side. Until he plunged his hand, knocking me aside, into the ground, and a thick, sick blackness swirled around him like a whirlpool. The blackness reached my feet as I ran towards it, and did nothing. So I slugged through it, and beat at the hand repetitively. My arms were already sore from the constant beating of the heavy shield. _

_Through the blackness, the smaller creatures appeared, leaping around eagerly. I fought back a shout when one materialized right beside me, and turned to look at me, its wide and empty. _

_And then the were swarming me. I struggled through the crowd and the black much, away from where the were created. They only followed. _

"_LEAVE" smash, smash "ME" smash, smash "ALONE!" _

_I was shocked when my rage ended, that they were gone. And the hand was back to his side. I leapt at it, my swipes coming short, my body fatigued. _

_I was about to cry in frustration when he leaned back, and a big purple/black ball was released from his chest, where the heart mark was. _

_Tiny purple balls shot from it, curving in and tagging me. It was like acid on my skin. It burned. I back away, tears trickling down my face. _

_There was nothing I can do. _

_Yes there is. _

_A little voice whispered. _

_You are…_

_You are Pinto…_

_You are Chiyoake…_

_You can do this. _

_It gave me strength. I would do this. I could do this. I was me. _

_Power sleeps within me. I gave it form. It will give me strength. _

_One more swipe at the hand. I gave it all I had, all my strength, all my power. All of me. _

_And the creature fell back. I had beaten it. _

_But darkness spread beneath it. It flowed out, consumed the pretty girl and the beast, consumed everything. _

_**But don't be afraid. **_

_I wasn't sure if I was hearing the voice. Everything was going black. I couldn't see. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't feel. _

_The swallowing darkness was covering my eyes, as I fell down. I could see the creature leaning over, get a good glimpse into those angry, empty eyes, haunting and hungry. _

_Was I going to die?_

_No. Through all this, something struck me. I had seen those eyes before. I had seen that look. Where? _

_I couldn't think. _

_**You hold the mightiest weapon of all. **_

_I reached out my hand, for something, anything to save me. Darkness spread up the paleness of the back of my arm, reaching for the desperate fingers. _

_**So don't forget. **_

"Pinto, I love you so much!"

_I remembered where I had seen that look…_

_**You are the one who will open the door. **_

_Riku… _

_XxXxXx_

**And that there's the end! (of the chapter!) it may take me some time to get the second chapter done, so don't get mad! **

**I am VERY happy with how this chapter turned out. I learned a ton about Pinto and Kaze, and they're my characters too! **

**Can't wait till text chapter! **

**-Rio**

**P.S REVIEW!!**


	2. Darkness Storm

Got the first chapter re-done

**Big Thanks To:**

**Sora-oathkeeper-Oblivion **

**Disclaimer: I, me, myself, and me again, does not own Kingdom Hearts. Sadly, I'm here writing a sad knock-off version of it, like how fast food restaurants copy each others hamburgers with bacon. Really sad analogy, even sadder truth. **

**Darkness Storm**

_Why did I always have to lie to people? I've been lying all my life. –Pinto_

It was later that evening, and I still hadn't recovered from the shock. I had been found today, only to find later I was lost. I thought I understood so much, and now, I was just confused. I wanted things to go back to the way they were. And then again, I didn't…

"Dinner's served!" Karo called, waking me from my far-off thoughts, and placing a steaming hot casserole dish in the middle of the table, which I was already sitting at, unconsciously doodling on my note pad.

I looked down at the page. A thickly lined sketch of a black cat stared back at me. It all looked good. Good angles, good expression, one of my better drawings. But the eyes…I couldn't get them quite right…

A plate was thunked down in front of me the moment Kaze came skidding around the corner, into the kitchen.

Her hair was still wet from the shower, and she tugged on a pair of socks when she sat down.

"Where's Hihoshi?" Lune asked, spooning out what ever Karo had cooked onto the plates, and set them at each spot.

"Upstairs, listening to music." Karo said. At sixteen, Karo was the perfect child. She loved to clean, she loved to cook, she loved nature and animals, got stellar grades, and were sweet and polite as could be. She was also my adopted sister.

"Thank goodness it's her headphones on instead." Lune gave a grateful sigh. If it were Hihoshi playing music on her speakers, the whole house would be rocking with the pulse of the heavy metal beat.

Hihoshi was sullen and rebellious, a solitary girl with little patience or temper. She must have been the most damaged out of all of us adopted children. She was uncanny in every way- looks personality, even her use of brains and talents.

Lune looked a lot younger then she was. Then again, Lune was very young, only in her early thirties. Her and Costo had adopted me when I was four. When Lune was twenty.

Then came along Karohane. She was seven. She was the sweetest, prettiest child. A dream. Nobody knew where she came from. Apparently a family with an alcoholic and abusive background. Lune never really said. All she said was that it was incredibly sad that such a lovely girl like Karohane had to experience thing at such an advanced age. So I never asked again.

That was one year after I was adopted. I was five. Lune was twenty-one.

Costo had just come down the stairs, and planted himself in the end chair, making a scene of sniffing the air and going 'mmm', before telling Karo how it looked so good. If he hadn't been so deep in a recent experiment, he would have noticed that the girl beside him he was talking to was Kaze.

Kaze was the next to come along. Three years after I was adopted. Two years after Karo was adopted. She was six.

When I was six. When Karo was nine. When Lune was twenty-three.

Kaze came from a girl who had had her baby at a young age –sixteen. The girl had struggled to take care of Kaze, but managed with the help of her mother. The mother, sick with cancer, passed on, and Kaze was hence given to us.

I asked Kaze about it. She said she didn't remember a single thing about her past once she was here. And I believe her. Because I don't remember a single thing about my previous life either, and though I was only four, I should be able to remember at least one thing.

But I don't.

Lune had a way of reviling just enough information to satisfy your curiosity, enough for you to be satisfied. But she never went into detail.

The came Hihoshi. She came when she was eleven. When I was ten. When Kaze was ten. When Karo was twelve. When Lune was twenty-seven.

That was six years after I was adopted. Three years after Kaze was adopted. Five years after Karo was adopted.

You see, I've been counting.

Hihoshi was sent here because she had been kicked out of sixteen foster homes already. She was a juvenile delinquent, and according to the government, if she pulled anymore dangerous stunts, she would be sent to jail as a minor.

So Lune took her. Even though Hihoshi had been suspended from school countless times, the school had decided to not make it official. For Lune's sake. And even though Hihoshi had damaged private and personal property even more times, the owner's decided not to call cops, or tell anybody involved with the law. For Lune's sake.

Because Lune loved Hihoshi more than ever anybody had.

Hihoshi was lead into the kitchen by Karo, who must have gone upstairs to fetch her.

Kaze took her seat beside me, and Karo slide into hers, followed by Hihoshi. Dinner had officially begun.

"What the hell is this." Hihoshi stared down at the food with disgust.

"Fish." Karo sounded surprised, like always, that Hihoshi was putting down her food.

Fish. I hated fish. I tried to choke down a mouthful to be nice. I guess it would have been a delicious meal for those who liked fish. But I couldn't stand it, and to me it tasted awful.

"Make your own damn food next time then." Costo shot back at her. He was the one to always put them in their place if he needed, kind and funny as he was.

Hihoshi rolled her eyes, but said nothing too bad back. That was typical.

Under the guidance and loving of a 'mother' and 'father' and her three siblings, with a little bit of freedom, Hihoshi had calmed down some. Especially with Karo. She looked after Hihoshi, and made her behave herself, though the harshest from of 'punishment' she used would have to be put violently as 'scolded'. Apparently it worked though.

I looked at Lune. As usual, her medium length hair had been piled on top of her head loosely, wisps hanging down, framing her tanned and lean face. She was lanky and thin, her high cheeks bones angled and the splatter of freckles making her with out a doubt beautiful. Today she was wearing one of her two styles. It was the rolled up, paint splattered jean cuffs, and if she had been wearing a long sleeved shirt, it would be rolled up to her elbows too.

Costo had dark curly hair, and deeply tanned skin. He invented things in his spare time, which didn't always go well. Costo was the funny one. He was also the one to put discipline in place more then Lune was. Just as Lune was uniquely beautiful, he was very handsome, his looks not common around here.

"Pinto? Are you okay? You seem very quiet tonight." With a start I realized Lune was staring at me intently.

I nodded, pushing the food around on my plate. "I'm just tired, I guess. I got a lot of sun."

There was no way I completely fooled her. But she went along anyhow, and ceased her glances at me. "Next time remember a hat, or sunscreen."

I nodded, making myself take a bite of the fish, for Karo's benefit.

"So Kaze," Karo poured herself a glass of milk from the pitcher. "I heard rumors you challenged Riku today."

Kaze's eyes flicked to mine, then back to Karo. "Yupers." Despite all that had gone on, she sounded bright and normal enough.

"How did you do?" Lune looked up, interested, her expression similar to mine when I had heard.

"Uh…" Kaze grimaced.

"She had him for the most part." I jumped in suddenly. "She was winning. But he cheap shot her. Lost his temper, had a suck attack."

Kaze blushed, something she rarely did. "I _had_ gained a lot of ground."

"So, really, Riku forfeited." I didn't mention that he had also pulled a move that could have dealt serious injury to the fourteen-year-old.

"Hmm." Lune let it drop, but my intuition flicked, telling me she knew something she wasn't letting on.

"Good for you, eh?" Costo grinned. "Our Kaze, strong and lethal!"

Kaze returned the beam, her face split wide open with it. "And I beat Tidus again today for the….fifty-second time!"

Lune held back an audible snort, her mouth full of food. Costo shot her a glance that said he would pretend he didn't hear that. Costo was right now amidst a deal of merging his small-time business with Tidus' father, and wanted everything to be on perfect terms with him. That meant not saying a bad word against Tidus, as much as we all thought he was a total idiot.

_**Busy day? **_

_Solace! Where were you? _

I had to be careful. It was too easy to get wrapped in my own little conversation with him. I had learned long ago to keep my pretence, so, as the rest of the world didn't know what was going on in my head. Especially, since I was so eager to hear from him.

_**I lost contact with you at one point today. What happened? **_

_You won't believe it! I tried to get to you to…_

_**Ah…so it's happening now. I though it would. **_

_What? You know? About the voice, the dark…_

_**I was right. Then it is happening. **_

_What is happening? _

_**I felt the world was connecting…**_

_Solace! What's going on? _

_**You'll find out soon enough. **_

"Pinto, will you be on dish duty?" Lune broke into my thoughts. From the way she spoke, I knew my guise had been successful. It should be, after all this time. There have been hundreds of times I had fooled people, even Lune.

I nodded. Dinner was officially over.

"Karo, you and Hihoshi are on the out door chores duty."

"Great!" Karo said, grabbing Hihoshi's arm and dragging her out the door, off the take care of the rescue animals.

We kept many rescue animals, donkeys, dogs, cats, and such. With all of us working together, it was moderately easy to take care of them all, giving abandoned and abused animals more love or happiness they could ever get otherwise.

I cleared the dishes almost automatically, my mind rolling like gears in overtime, thinking about what Solace had said.

I still hadn't made any sense of it when the kitchen was completely cleared of people, and I was elbow deep in sudsy, warm water. Solace had been part of my mind as long as I could remember. He had called himself my guardian or something like that. We were connected in some sort of way. No matter what distance, I could call to him through my thoughts. To other people, he just looked like a well loved, pet lizard. But to me…he was my lifeline, my power. That's why I had become so scared when I couldn't reach him.

And he knew something about what had happened today. He wasn't worried, he had expected this.

And what he had said about the world being connected…

_Did you know about Riku? _

_**Hmm? Oh, the silver haired boy. Yes, him and Kaze. **_

_Fought. But there was something up with him. I could see it in his eyes, Solace. _

_**There is something that is changing significantly about him. Actually, it's very important. **_

_Well what's going on! _

_**You want to know, don't you? **_

_Of course I do! I want to know all of it! _

_**I can't tell you all of it. I can't tell you anything. **_

I couldn't deny my hurt. Solace and me were close.

_Fine._

_**You're upset, aren't you. **_

_No. _

_**Yes you are. You'll understand, you will. **_

_So you keep saying. _

With a foul sigh, I broke off the connection between us, putting my own personal barrier up. Though it had never been broken, I felt it as always flimsy, and Solace could break through it with little power.

I drained the sink, wiping my wet hands on the dishtowel that lay beside it. I hated the way my hands felt all dried and wrinkly after using dish soap.

"Hey! Kaze, Pinto, come in here!" Costo's voice was muffled, and coming from his office.

"Coming." I called the same time Kaze did.

I trotted up the stairs, and pushed open the office door, which was left ajar. Kaze, coming down the hallway in the opposite direction, followed in after me.

His office was cluttered, crammed full with two desks, a chair, and endless piles of unfinished experiments and parts. I picked my way around the mess that overflowed onto the ground, stepping over piles of paper and junk.

"What is it this time?" Kaze stared critically at what sat, covered by a box, on his desk.

"You're gonna love it." Costo rubbed his hands together, before dramatically pulling the box aside.

It was red. And shiny, big, and to be honest, quite impressive. Looks like his experiment had gone very well this time, which was highly unusual.

"I'm ready to launch it." He grinned, running a hand over it eagerly and lovingly.

"_You're launching a_ _rocket inside_?" I asked him, appalled. "Costo, I though you learned your lesson last time!" 'Last time' had resulted in a nasty flaming hole in the roof.

"Oh, inside sminside. Of course I wasn't going to do that! I have it programmed so it only goes about a foot or so! It's my first test run."

"And we're in time to see it?" Kaze was backing slowly towards the door.

"Exactamondo!" Costo's fingers hovered over a big green button. "Five, four, three, two, one—"

I held my hands up to protect my face.

"Launch!" the button was pressed. I had expected a big explosion. There almost always was one, even when it involved experiments that should very well not have blown up, going against most physics laws. I mean, Costo could blow up a piece of cheese, for heaven's sake. But there was nothing. I slowly moved my hands away, but my body stayed cringed in the opposite direction.

Costo was staring at the rocket with disappointment and shock.

Kaze began to speak. "Hey, nothing happen—"

And _then _the rocket exploded.

A wave of heat and random plastic parts was sent flying. I had never actually seen one of his experiments explode, because I was too busy predicting them. Well, it kind looked like this.

At first, there was the rocket. Simple, plain, shiny rocket. And then, there was no rocket.

Well, that's not very good. Let's look at it this way.

The rocket instantaneously turned from regular rocket to a ball of raging fire. Bright orange, so bright it hurt my eyes, a little round sphere that didn't stay aflame longer then a second or so. Just like in the movies.

So then is the aftermath.

Kaze's mouth was hanging wide open, which I hope it wasn't when the rocket exploded. Her clothes were somewhat singed, but she didn't look nearly as funny as Costo did.

Costo had seen more experiments blow up then I had, and I had seen a lot. Yet, this time seemed to surprise him the most.

His face was a picture of pure disbelief, as if he still couldn't figure out what had happened. His face was also black (as well as most of his shirt). His eyebrows, raised high on his charcoal forehead, were nearly completely burnt off. A little flame hissed out on the corner of the right one. His hands were still held in mid-air, as they were before the explosion, and his hair, sticking out at all odds and ends, was completely curl-less.

And he stayed that way until I burst out laughing.

"That—was—the—the—best—explosion—" I tried to choke out.

"EVER!" Kaze finished my sentence.

Costo wheeled around in the swivel chair. He looked ultimately dazed.

"LUNE!" Kaze started.

"I…don't know...I don't know how that could have happened…" Costo mumbled.

"Lune! Costo blew up the office again."

I was still laughing so hard I was doubled over. "I can't believe we haven't gotten one of these on tape!"

Kaze was still calling for Lune. "It happened again! Aww man…that…was good!" her words were occasionally broken up by fits of laughter.

"Costo! Again?" Lune stood at the doorway, looking dismayed.

Costo was slowly waking from his trance. "It wasn't supposed to happened that way! I swear! All my effort…" his brow was furrowed in extreme perplexity.

Lune laughed. "It's always that way, isn't it?" she crossed the room easily and kissed his sooty cheek.

"Kaze, would you be a dear and fetch me the broom?" Kaze had already darted off down the stairs before Lune had finished.

"Pinto, could you pick up the larger pieces of…" she looked at the mess, trying to identify what it previously had been.

"Rocket." Costo said, suddenly awake. "Rocket, Rocket, Rocket." His voice was almost sorrowful. "It used to be a Rocket, and now—" he slammed his hand against the desk. "And now, it's blown to pieces!"

"Well, Costo, that's what comes with inventing, now doesn't it?" Lune was very used to Costo's after-explosion rants.

He sighed. "Yes, I guess it does."

"Better luck next time!" she gave him a pat on the shoulder, before taking the broom Kaze had presently appeared with.

With a start, I bent to pick up the fried pieces of rocket, before dumping them into the wastebasket beside his desk.

Lune gave me an appraising look. "I think you better have a shower and change."

I glanced down. My clothes _were _rather black.

"And open some windows too, could you?" I had hardly noticed the thin curtain of smoke that filled the office.

"I'll be right on it." I turned and left the room, absolutely fine leaving Costo and Lune in the ruin of Costo's creation.

I padded lightly down the short hall to the room I shared with Kaze. Just as I was to step into the room, she burst out of it, wrapped in a towel.

"I've got dibs on shower first!" and she darted quickly into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door with a bang.

I rolled my eyes, though nobody was around to see. So after opening all the windows in the upstairs level, I settled to curl up on my bed, thoughts of today still haunting me. I felt too lost to figure out what to do. I wasn't one to keep a diary, though I had a journal, mainly to keep track of ideas for stories I was writing, or to organize important dates or schoolwork.

I had to write this down. There was no way I couldn't. I had to look at the words, undeniable proof, and tell myself I wasn't completely insane.

I tried to recap it all. The fight with Riku, the voice, dragging me down, the choices of weapons, Kaze's unsettling words, standing on the fake island, surrounded by fake friends, the battle with the creature of darkness, falling.

It flowed into my mind, too much to handle. And then there was Solace. He was living proof something was happening. Unless, of course, Solace was a figment of the imagination…

No. He couldn't be. I had gone down that road long ago, and each time came to the conclusion that he was real.

The sun was fast setting outside, burning colour lighting up the sky. Orange, pink, yellow, blue, they sparkled breathtakingly against the crystal waters, down by the shoreline. It looked spectacular, and I was once again grateful of my view. It faced the water, showing the small group of houses on a winding path down to the beach. This little town was all the same. Tiny, simple houses, much alike, with their neat yards, friendly openness.

I felt sometimes that our family didn't fit in with the rest of it, though we all looked in place physically (with the exception of Hihoshi, with her purple hair and pale skin, punk clothes). It just seemed, we were always on the edge of things, always a little different. It didn't make me resent my home with Costo and Lune, it just made me wonder…

Costo and Lune, as long as I had been with them, had never felt like parents. Maybe more like close family friends, but never actually parents. Maybe it was the way they had wanted it to be, or the way they made it, or maybe it was just me. No matter how much I loved them, they still never seemed to take the place of parents. And that seemed okay. I didn't known the love of a parent, so I had never missed it. And though I loved this place, loved my life, I still couldn't wait to set sail. To know what else was out there, to know the feelings and things I could be missing.

_**You'll find all that. **_

_You think? _

I sighed.

_**As long as you're not afraid, and don't hold back. **_

_That's the difficult part. There's a reason you have fear. You have fear when there is danger. _

_**Then you have to let go of that. Have courage, take a chance. **_

_I want to. I really do. _

I could keep memories of here, of home. Like a photograph in my mind, I'd remember everything. And if I could, I would come back. Who's to say though, after I found what was out there. Maybe I wouldn't come back. Maybe it wouldn't be possible to come back.

"You want the shower?" Kaze stood, dripping wet, in the doorway. "That was the _second _shower I've had to have within an hour!"

I nodded absently, pulling my socks off, stripping down to underclothes, and slipping quickly into the bathroom across the hall, turning on the shower, grabbing a towel, and completely taking off all my clothes.

I jumped in the shower, wincing and letting out a shriek. "Cold!" I fumbled frantically with the taps, until the flowing water was warmer. At least it had broken me from my revere. I was forever falling in and out of reality.

It was dark by the time I left the steamy warm bathroom, and there were no lights on in the upstairs or downstairs.

"Hello?" I called. The house seemed empty. I frowned. It was very rare for our house to have nobody in it and one point or another. I hurried, now catching the draft and shivering, into my room, to quickly pull on faded jeans and a t-shirt from the floor. Without having enough time to rub my hair vigorously dry with a towel, I quickly twisted it up into a tight bun on top of my head.

"Hello?" I called again as I ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. There was a note lying on the kitchen counter, illuminated by the white light of the stove.

_Pinto, _

_We've all gone to the bonfire at Wakka's. Meet us there if you want when you're done your shower. _

_P.S. Trenton will be there. _

At the mention of Tidus' father, I knew Lune had written the note. It also explained why they had packed up so quickly and all left.

I thought about it for a minute. Did I want to go? Well, there was nothing else to do. Might as well.

Slipping on shoes, I opened the back door and let it close with a bang, stepping down the curved stairs off the back deck, walking around to the front, the ground lush with grass beneath my feet.

I was halfway down the path to Wakka's when I wondered why I hadn't brought a flashlight. But, wandering down the path towards the shore, the sight of the warm, inviting houses all lined up, with the light of the bonfire visible from here, I felt a feeling of belonging. This was what I loved so much about this place. How close it all was, how familiar, how independent I felt. It felt a little bit like home. This was what I was looking for. But this was a short feeling. I didn't always feel this way. And that was the problem.

It was then I saw the eyes. Yellow, wide, no pupils. Hidden in the bush along the path.

My breath sucked in sharply. I had seen those eyes. I had fought the creatures of those eyes.

And, as soon as I had seen them, they were gone.

It was my imagination. I had just remember today's dream so vividly, I had imagined them.

But my hands still shook, and I hurried down the path all the faster.

XxXxX

"Would you say Costo owes us?" Kaze asked me that night, as we brushed our teeth in the bathroom.

I spat out my mouthful of toothpaste. Why did she have to ask these questions at the worst times?

"No."

"Neither do I."

I shook my head, wondering why the hell she asked me that in the first place then. "Why?"

She shrugged her petite shoulders. "Just wondered."

"The bonfire was pretty fun." I could remember it very clearly. I had enjoyed myself once I had gotten past the spook on the way there. There had been lots of food and marshmallows, which Sora and Kaze had a contest on who could eat the fastest and the most. Sora won. Wakka had sat beside me most of the time, animated with his deep accent. Hihoshi had taken to setting her marshmallows on fire until they were charred black before eating them. There had been lots of talking and laughing, between adults and kids. I was content to sit by the warm fires, troubles melted away, right with my friends and family. Of course, Tidus was there, but his normally annoying presence didn't bother me as much tonight. Kairi had come, though there was no sign of Riku.

I was still had more reason to why Riku had drastically changed. At one point, Riku would have come to something like that. He wouldn't have missed it for the world. But slowly, he had changed. I can't recall when, but all I know is that I had gone from being so close to him, as close as I was to Sora and Kairi, to beginning to resent him.

That, I had proof of. They were the pictures in my photo albums, of Sora, Kairi, Riku, Kaze and me, close. Riku and I had built sand castles together, jumped on trampolines, told stories and ran wild.

Just a couple years ago, at Kairi's birthday party, we had been deemed champions of the piggyback races together, with a picture of us dashing across the finish line, me on his back. There were more and more pictures. We were best friends. There was no doubt. And I don't know when it started to happen, but we drifted.

I had noticed the difference over the past couple of months, with our plans to set out on the raft.

I set my toothbrush down. I turned and left the bathroom, hoping Kaze wouldn't see my face. I was getting choked up.

I turned my lamp off as I crawled into bed.

I hadn't thought of this before. I hadn't let myself. It hurt too much. Riku…he used to be such a good person, such a good friend. What he had turned into…

I felt tears stinging my eyes. I didn't want it to change. I wanted to be young again, when nothing stood between us, the gang, the closest friends, Kairi, Kaze, Sora, Riku and I. When had this all stopped? Why?

I think I fell asleep with the tears slowly trickling down my cheeks.

XxXxXx

"I love this whole summer concept!" Kaze stretched herself lazily across the living room floor.

I nodded. "No school."

"Are we going to the Island now?" Kaze asked for about the fourth time, unable to keep off the topic.

I shut my eyes, biting down my snappy response. "I told you, not until after lunch. We agreed with Kairi and Sora last night."

Kaze sighed, rotating herself in a circle with all her impatience. "Why did we decide on so late?"

"Because, we had chores do to." It was our morning to work around the barns, take care of the animals.

Kaze sate up suddenly. "Wait! I was going to go on a run with Peach and Lou!" The two hyper dogs were some of Kaze's favorites.

"Take Ronnie and Heidi while you're at it." They were the other two dogs we had adopted.

Kaze nodded. "I've got to go right now! I'll be back soon!" she sprang to her feet, pushing back her hair, which floated around her in a static wave from the rub of the carpet.

I watched with a smile, absently petting the silver tabby Rain, who sat contentedly on my lap, as Kaze whistled to the dogs, and all four, a jumble of flopping ears and colours, took off down the street like a crazy parade.

I could hear Karo in the kitchen, cooking something up in a storm. Lifting Rain's warm body off my lap, I stood to join her.

"What's for lunch?" I leaned against the counter, watching the older girl work quickly, stirring and chopping, pulling things in and out of the fridge and the oven.

Her long hair was pulled up high on her head, I noted again how it was the oddest colour; a very light shade of green. As far as I knew, it was completely natural.

She wiped her hands on her thick white apron before responding.

"Tuna melts." Her eyes twinkled, the same tint of green as her hair.

I grinned. "One of the only types of fish I eat."

Karo brushed back a stray strand of escaped hair that fell across her lightly tanned and beautiful oval face. "Kaze caught so much fish, I have to use it all up."

Karo herself was an occasional vegetarian, meaning she ate fish, only the ones we caught, or knew where they had come from. She ate no meat though, like chicken or beef.

"When's it ready?" I sat upon the table, facing out, and letting the cool breeze that came in the screen door cool my face. In the fields, dotted with the figures of occasional donkeys, all looked fine.

"Just a couple of minutes."

I turned to look at her. She was the envy of the town, with lean, tanned limbs, her tidy waist and shapely curves, full breasts, almost inhumanly beautiful face, and bright personality. She had been out with countless of the boys here, though it never seemed to dawn upon her how gorgeous she really was.

"Good. I'm starved."

I had often wished I could look like her, though Kaze had said before there was a possibility I could end up having a similar body shape to her.

Yeah right.

My waistline was thicker then hers, my legs wider, and I wasn't all leggy like she was. I had learned to be fine with myself, though it wasn't easy living with a girl who made every girl's self esteem sink just by looking at her.

"Done." Karo set the plate in front of me. "Bon Appetite."

I had also forgot to mention her fluency in about three other languages. And I was making an educated guess that what she had just said was 'Good Eatings' or something like that in…French? Spanish?

The sad thing was that I'm in grade nine French. No wonder I failed it this year.

I took a bite of the hot food, which consisted of toast piled high with warm tuna and melted cheese.

She sat beside me, the scent of her sweet mint perfume washing over me. "I'm so excited about this trip!"

"So am I." My mouth was full of food. See what kind of manners I have in comparison to her?

"I've finished all my packing, though there is so much I'm leaving behind." Karo's version of packing would be including everything we could ever possibly need in any situation.

"I'm not." I though I'd finish up tonight and tomorrow night.

"Pinto! You've only got two night before we leave!" Karo shook her head. "I didn't realize you could be this unorganized until this whole projected started."

"Thanks Karo." I mumbled.

"Let's go! It's _exactly _noon!" Kaze burst into the kitchen, her sudden appearance making me jump.

"Fine. Karo, you coming?" I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth, whereas Karo politely dabbed her napkin.

"You bet." She stood, taking our dishes with a sweeping hand.

Kaze opened the door, and the dogs rushed in, licking me, and thumping their tails around the room.

"Let's take Heidi with us." I stroked the tall mutt's head. Surprisingly, she was the only one who liked water.

Kaze shrugged. "Eh. Whatever you want."

"I'm going, I'm going." I didn't want to test Kaze's patience today.

She grinned, sweet as sugar again. "That's what I want to hear!"

XxXxXx

"C'mon Heidi!" I whistled to the shaggy dog, as I pushed my boat off and into the water, leaping aboard it the same time she did.

She shook out her semi-wet fur, spraying it all over me.

"Nice one!" I spluttered, as Kaze, in the little wooden boat ahead, let out a laugh.

I looked back to Karo. She had just untied her boat from the docks, and dashed into the shallow water far enough her boat had momentum before smoothly hopping in.

The waves would carry me out so far to the island, if not drifting me out a little off to the right. The island was a beautiful sight. Though very small, the thick green of the trees mingled with the unique purples and other sole colours, stood tall and strong against the emptiness of endless water in a breathtaking sight. The best part, was that it was _our _island, no adults, just us kids. That being Riku, Sora, Kairi, Selphie, Wakka, Tidus, Kaze, Hihoshi, Karo, and me; all ten of us.

"It's ssuummeerrttiimmee!" Karo sang out behind me, her voice strong and sugary, lifting my soul up. "Sweet, sweet summertime!"

Yup, this is summertime on Destiny Islands.

I had to pull out a paddle by the time we had neared the island. I could already see Selphie sitting on the docks, her legs swinging girlishly. She was no doubt dreaming that we were war ships, carrying soldiers coming home, one of them being her dearest lover, whilst she sat upon the shore and waited for him to come, sweep her up with a romantic kiss and vow to marry her. A bit of romanticist was an understatement for her.

Heidi leapt out, splashing through the water eagerly, spraying Selphie with her giant strides.

Selphie let out a shriek, then a giggle, and brushed her wavy hair back. "Oh my."

"Startle you?" I asked wryly as I stepping from the boat, and walked through the warm water to tie my boat in its spot. I had recognized that look on her face that my suspicions of her day dreaming were true.

She ducked her head. "Oh, you know."

I actually didn't, but I didn't care either. Wasn't extremely fond of the ditzy Selphie.

As I jumped up on to the docks, and walked in the direction of the Seaside Shack, Kaze leaned over and whispered in my ear, "We need to get the sheet hanging in the tree house."

I nodded, not answering immediately, because Wakka was standing just ahead of us. And, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka, had not the slightest idea we were leaving. It was easier that way. And not everybody wanted them to come with us…especially since it was already loaded down with seven people.

"Hey, Pinto, want to go a round today?" Wakka called out, as I was turning to walk to the spiraling ramp I had missed it to get up into the tree house.

"No, I don't think today." I smiled apologetically. Out of the 'Terrible Three' as I liked to call them (They were all so close) Wakka was the most tolerable.

"Aww, c'mon, you never fight with anybody half the time anymore."

_I don't, do I. Why is that? Why have I changed so much? _

"Tomorrow, maybe." I lied, having no intentions of that what so ever.

Why did I always have to lie to people? I've been lying my whole life.

I felt suddenly weary as we changed course, and climbed up the wooden boards that wound around the trunk of a massive, ancient tree. When I climbed up the ladder to reach the final level of it, my arms felt weak. I leaned against the rail heavily, as Kaze entered the closed, single-room tree house, retrieving the blanket, pinned to the solid wall.

A rush of memories were coming back to me. Memories of playing in that tree house, with Kaze, with friends, by myself. It had already been built by the time we had discovered it, as well as the deck above the docks, just like the crumbling racecourse, the wall to the racecourse, the Seaside Shack, and the bridge. I was going to have to say goodbye to this tree, as I would have to say goodbye to many other places.

"Got it?" I asked Kaze, my eyelids fighting to close.

"Yup!" She rushed past me, and down the ladder, no fear of slipping and falling to the ground far below. Just another way she was so different than me glaring me in the face.

"Don't wait for me." I said to myself as I slowly crawled down the ladder, the sense of fatigue pulling me ever further.

I had been looking forward to this day. And now I just wondered when it would ever end.

XxXxXx

I felt better. Karo had taken Heidi home with her a few minutes ago. The sun was setting against the water, in such a blinding brilliance of the orange and pink sky reflected in the water, sparkling like a thousand different crystals. I lay stretched out upon the paopu tree, watching the sunset, along with Riku, Sora, and Kairi. Everyone was either sitting or laying on the tree, except for Riku, who was standing against it.

My thoughts were on when we would set sail. The day after tomorrow. It was shocking it was so soon, yet I had to wait so long.

"So, Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right?" Sora was lying back, with his hands behind his head.

"Could be." Riku said shortly. "We'll never know by staying here."

"But how far could a raft take us?" Sora had just voiced my biggest fear.

We were drifting into the sea, with no idea where we were going, floating upon the stupidest idea to ever come to action.

"Who knows? If we have to, we'll think of something first." Riku said, obviously not worried.

I might as well open my mouth now. I had been silent most of the day. "If we don't die first. This idea is kind of crazy." I was answered with the worst thing possible—total silence.

"So, suppose you get to another world. What would you do there?" Kairi said, braking the awkward silence, giggling self-consciously.

"Well, I…haven't really thought about it." There it was. In the uncertainty of his words, in the truthfulness, in the stumble and break of the sentence. There was Riku, the real Riku, my friend Riku. My heart ached. "It's just…I've always wondered why we're here, on this island. If there are any other worlds out there why did we end up on this one."

I watched the waves lapping up against the shore, arms draped over the tree, laying on my stomach. And it was fading, the real Riku. This Riku was different. The changed one.

"And, suppose there are other worlds…then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So, we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?" Riku looked up at us, his blue eyes intense, still, not all there.

The breeze pushed my hair gently around my face as I contemplated. "Maybe, maybe not." There it was again. The ageless battle I've had in my head, between fate, choice, and luck. "What if it was fate? Maybe it was destiny we ended up here." Hence the name, Destiny Island. Maybe it meant something.

I hadn't meant for the comment to be a challenge. Just a thought, and option, to ponder. But Riku didn't take it that way. His face was hard and aggressive as he turned around to face me, not saying a word. I stared back.

"I don't know." Sora leaned back against the tree, his hands behind his head, unknowing of the secret-stare-off between me and Riku.

"Exactly." Riku turned away and stared out at the setting sun. "That's why we need to get out there, and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing. It's just the same old stuff. So let's go."

_**Rash, rash. He's too far to come back. **_

_Stop! Enough with the cryptic comments unless you're ready to tell me what the _hell_ is going on! _

"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" Kairi looked down to him, her face soft, but I could see in her eyes, she was trying to understand Riku too.

"Thanks to you. If you hadn't come here, I probably would've never thought of any of this. Kairi, thanks." Riku's words caught Kairi off guard. They caught me off guard too.

"You're welcome." Kairi smiled, still miffed.

There was silence for another minute, the sun slowing fading from the sky, its brilliance unable to stay any longer.

_Solace, I've got this feeling. Feelings, actually. _

_**What are they? **_

_I…don't know. It's that…all of this is going to change. I feel so…detached. From Kairi and Riku, especially. And Sora, I don't know…_

_**Hmm. **_

_But, I have stronger ones. That this doesn't belong. This plan to set sail. Something's not right. I feel like, it's not going to matter anyhow. That there are bigger, stronger things out there, that are going to take place. Different people, that are going to change my life. Things that will take place, that change my view of everything. And lately, this strongest, is that I don't feel like myself. I feel…so…_

_**Lost? **_

_Lost. Exactly. Things are spinning out of my control. I don't even know myself. _

_**You will. I can see, ahead in your life…there is someone. They're blurry, and they keep slipping out of reach…but, they are a key, to something inside you. **_

_This…person, holds the key…to myself? _

_**I think so. **_

_Then I need to find that person. I need to find them. _

"You coming?" I gave a start. The sun was gone now, the sea and island bathed in a rich orange and shadow mix.

I glanced over my shoulder. Sora was waving to me, him and Riku already standing at the upper entrance to the Seaside Shack, Kairi far ahead, walking down the beach.

I had been lost in my conversation. It was happening more and more frequently.

"In a minute." The tired feeling was weighing me down again. Didn't I feel so free just this morning? After waking up with memories of last night?

"Okay." He called back. After that, I could here their muffled voices, and then Riku's smoky laugh.

"I used to love that laugh." Whispering aloud, I dropped my head back onto the smooth bark of the tree.

XxXxXxXx

Oh why did Kaze and I get ourselves into these scraps? More like, why did _I _let Kaze get me into these scraps?

This time, we were in a race against Riku and Sora. Through the racecourse, touch the star, and back. Typical. But this time, it wasn't. It was a battle between Riku and Sora. Over Kairi. And Kaze, seeing this, had volunteered the two of us in, so the stakes were even higher. All I really wanted to do was name the raft. I didn't believe in the hocus-pocus of the paopu fruit, and I certainly didn't want to share it with Kairi. But they did.

So, those were the stakes, and Kaze and me had a chance at them, and a chance to really piss off Riku and Sora.

Bravo Kaze, bravo.

Already this day was proving more eventful than I needed, as it was the last day on the island. I wished I had just stayed in bed.

"One," Kairi started the count off.

"Two," Why were things always this difficult?

"Three," Couldn't I race against them in a non-stakes race, like we usually did?

"Go!" I guess not. And I better start running.

My way was the long way. The element of surprise, and it was the low road. Everyone else would start of by taking the bridge across the water, and then onto higher ground. There, Riku and Sora would usually climb up the ladder into the look-out post, where they would slide down the rope, holding onto the handle, as it carried them near the end of the course. But, the first person on it would be the only one, and the later one would have to climb back down.

Kaze would abandon the slow climb part of it, and just leap from treetop to treetop, where she would reach the star platform, and take her same route back.

Sora and Riku would have to run up the sloped ground, leap across the rocks, touch the star, and take the treetops back, going across the bridge again.

My way was rather absurd, but it was a sure and steady way. I ran along side the bridge, in the shallow water, keeping pace with Kaze and Riku, who currently had the lead. They hit the broken board, and cleared it with ease, whilst it collapsed to the ground, throwing off Sora for only a second. I darted up the staircase to be on even ground with them. This is where Riku darted up the ladder ahead of Sora, who followed. Kaze pulled herself up to the next step of higher ground, taking a massive leap to the first treetop. Though Kaze's way was straightforward, the spaces between the trees where great, and though she had less fear and precaution then most, it took a lot of effort and planning to make it across clear, which would slow her down.

Jumping back onto the beach, I saw Riku was overtaken by Sora when he reached the top. Riku wasn't to be outdone. I was shocked when he attempted to push Sora off of the handle. I thought Sora would fall. But he held onto the one handle, while Riku hurriedly took the other.

They were off, carried down in a flash. They were ahead of me, but I pushed myself further. Running hard and steady was one of my strengths. They didn't see me behind them, as side by side, they stumbled up the ramp. So, when they were slowed, as Sora, on the outside, forced Riku up onto the first rock, I darted past, jumping upon the second rock, throwing myself onto the third. There, I touched the big yellow star that served as our marker. I was turning around, and I could see Kaze, just a treetop ahead of me, already on her way back. I was ready to ease myself onto the ground far below, when somebody pushed me.

With flailing arms, I landed twisted, impacting hard against the sand. Riku flashed over head of me, Sora just behind him.

Lines of pain shot through my back and leg, though just pain of impact. Riku couldn't keep me down, and if he thought he could, he was wrong. Oh yes, he was wrong.

Scrambling up, I sent sand flying as I took off before I was even fully standing. I had a lot of ground to cover, that I was going to make up.

Sora was close on Riku's heels, as they had nearly completed the tree jumping part of the course, Kaze just about at solid ground.

"Look out!" Riku suddenly shouted at Kaze. My head shot up, as Kaze turned to look at him, startled.

But even Kaze, with her amazing balance, lost it sometimes, as she did that very instant. Her legs slipped, her body curved, and she fell, more prepared than I did, to the sand.

And I swear I heard Riku laugh. It had all been a plan. A dirty trick, to make Kaze lose focus. Just like he did to me.

I turned to Kaze, panting as I neared her. "You okay?"

"Fine." Kaze was already up, ready to pass me, not even looking back.

"I'll get that btch." I shouted to her, as I shifted gears, pulling ahead regardless of my uneasy ankle.

If Riku thought he could win, _and _play dirty, he was badly mistaken.

This time, I took the bridge when I made it to high ground. He was only slightly ahead of Sora, and with two long stride coming in from the side, I faked a trip. If he was going to make excuses for being unfair, I could too.

I hit him from the side, and we were both sent flying off the side of the bridge by my tackle. He hit the ground under me, so I didn't feel a thing. Water splashed up every where, making him splutter, as the breath was probably knocked out of him.

"My bad." I smiled venomously. "Get me once, but I'll make sure you don't get me again." I warned in a severe whisper.

His eyes were filled with a vast fury. But this time, it didn't scare me a bit. When push came to shove, I was head of the game.

He may have tried to grab me as I thrust myself up, running off again, but I didn't bother looking behind.

I may have crossed the finish line behind both Sora and then Kaze, but I came in ahead of Riku.

XxXxXx

I wanted ice on my ankle. It was bruised and swollen now, but that would be giving Riku any sense of satisfaction. So instead, I gritted my teeth and didn't even limp.

"See it now?" I asked Kaze, as we both sat with our feet in the fresh water pool, the waterfall splashing and cooling our hot and sweaty bodies.

"Yes." Kaze was red hot mad.

"I got him for the both of us. Pretty sure I hurt his back too." I concluded smugly.

"Too bad you didn't break it." Kaze hissed.

Laughing, I pulled my feet from the pool, to fold my knees up and rest me chin on them. "But then I would have had to pretend to be sorry."

Kaze didn't respond.

My eyes drifted to ivy covered wall before me. The little leaves drifted in the breeze.

Wait. That's not right. How can they be waving if they're up again solid clay wall? Unless…

Come to think of it, beneath the foliage, the wall was darker than the rest. Pitch black, actually, not like the dirty off white.

"Kaze…" I whispered, standing up with a little difficulty. "Look at this."

I touched the ivy vines, and stuck my hand threw, pushing thoughts of mold and bugs out of my head.

My hand didn't touch anything but air.

Kaze shoved my aside, and ripped the plants aside. A tunnel, sandy and dark, was reviled.

We both looked at each other. Then, in we went, following the winding, soft path, touching cool, smooth rocks that were above us, and on either side. The roof was getting lower, and we had to crouch, but there was light, around this next bend-

It was a little secret cavern. Sandy floors, a hole in the roof that allowed tiny beams of sunshine through, and a slight breeze. It was many degrees colour in here then it was outside, probably due to the rocks.

Speaking of rocks, the walls, and boulders, were covered, absolutely covered, in drawings.

"It's like a caveman lived here." Kaze's eyes were round with awe.

But the pictures were recent. Sunsets, trees, one I thought I saw of the Seaside Shack, and everything else related to the island surrounded me. They were crude, and colorless, like they had been chipped in with stones.

"Look at this one." One picture in particular caught my attention.

A girl and a boy, cheaply done, faced each other. And they looked familiar…

"Who did the girl?" Kaze peered over my shoulder. "She looks awful! I blind person could do a better job!" She began to laugh.

I held up a hand to shush her. "But look, don't you recognize them?"

"The boy was done not bad. But ha, nice hair! Use a lot of hair gel?"

Exasperated, I gave her a little push. "Kaze!"

"What?"

"Look closer! It's Sora and Kairi!" I jabbed my finger at the figures.

Kaze let out a gasp. "It does look like them! I can't believe they knew about this place before us!"

"I wonder if Riku knows…" I murmured, stroking the picture softly.

"Let's make our own pictures!" Kaze exclaimed, not to be outdone by them. She searched for a sharp rock. I found two beside me, sharpened to a point that they looked as though they had already been used.

I stood, looking for an empty spot. The north wall was completely empty. Standing by it, the coolness of the stone seeping into my flushed and feverish skin, I felt a pull. It was like a peaceful lull, like a magnet, drawing me in. Gently letting my fingers drift across the calm surface, it felt as though something behind the stone was moving. Like rippling water, following my touch. Then, laying my cheek against it, feeling the chill ripple through my body, it pulsed even stronger, like an even magic.

And I was compelled to draw here. Holding the stone against the untouched wall, I let my first picture come.

It was our island, as I chipped steadily, that came into view. This, I had decided to draw, all by myself. The same as the next, which was a circle of holding hands, all different. Kairi, Riku, Sora, Kaze, me. Our hands I had drawn.

Then, it was the events. First, Riku fighting Kaze. His eyes though, I drew beside it. Then, the race, and that was the last of what I knew to draw.

The rest came like a wave. Something, the same thing telling me to draw here, just like what I felt beneath the stone, made my hand move to form these.

A collection of clouds, with lighting bolts jutting from them. A large circle, like a dark comet, surrounded by five smaller orbs. And the last, a face.

A person, with haunting eyes, a hard face. My hands pulled away from the rock, shaking.

"Who's he?" Kaze suddenly was behind me, frowning. I think she recognized the look in my eyes when I turned to face her.

"Not again." She whispered, shaking her head slowly. "Pinto, what's going on?"

"Nothing." I blurted. "I'm gonna draw a uni-brow and a mustache on him."

But my voice lacked humor, and I couldn't get the rock to touch the face.

Kaze sighed. "Fine. I'll do it." She rammed the rock into the face, drawing only a faint line across to make his single eyebrow. The mustache, was only a marred little scribble.

"Tough stone here. How'd you make your lines so dark?" Kaze dropped the stone, and it landed on the sand-scattered floor with a dull thud.

"Let's get out of here. I'm ashamed to look at my horse anymore. It looks more like an octopus. Don't ask how that happened, please."

So I followed her out, the cavern holding more secret to it now, after we had found what lay in it, then before, when it was like a unknown shadow.

The bright sunlight hurt my eyes, after being in the pale of the secret place.

"If anybody asks, we were sitting right in that corner all along." She nodded to the hidden entrance.

I smiled, feeling perfectly normal in the overbearing summer sun. "Good job, secret agent KS." KS stood for Kaze-Shima, her extended name, though she was always called Kaze, as I was called Pinto.

"Right secret agent CY." CY stood for Chi-Yoake.

"We have lame secret names." she crossed her arms. "But nobody shall ever know them! Muhahahaha!"

Rolling my eyes, I took for the tree house ramp. "Last day here. What do we do?"

Kaze shrugged. "I really don't care."

I laughed, running up the ramp climbing up the ladder, taking the runs two at a time, to sit at the top floor.

Kaze came to sit with me, swinging her legs. As little kids, we called it our spy lookout, and would spy on people, as we had view of the whole western side of the island here.

"There's Tidus down there. I think he's training." Kaze pointed to him, where he continuously beat a palm tree.

"He's hitting a tree though."

Rolling her eyes, Kaze explained. "It's his new training method. He says it builds stamina."

"There's Wakka, talking to Selphie." They both stood at the docks. Wakka was protective over both Selphie and Tidus, like a big brother.

"I think Tidus likes Selphie." Kaze turned to me, a smile on her lips. "That's why Wakka is trying to keep them away from each other. He doesn't want them getting together."

I gave what could be described as a half howl, half laugh. "He'll be ready to shoot Tidus years from now if him and Selphie get it on!"

Kaze snorted. "I don't think Selphie really knows exactly what going all the way is. She thinks it's all like butterflies and sweet buttercup kisses."

"I don't know if Tidus would even know what to do." I chortled.

Then, my eyes caught sight of Sora.

"Hey!" Kaze pointed to him, as he passed the waterfall, looking over his shoulder.

"He's going into the cavern!" I exclaimed, craning my head as he disappeared around the corner. I leapt off down to the ramp, beckoning to Kaze. "Let's go!"

We raced down the ramp that hugged the tree, round to the bottom, where we were more cautious, before I poked my head out around the corner. There was nobody there, which would mean that Sora had indeed entered the tunnel. Turning to give a thumbs up sign and put my finger to my lips, I crept around to the entrance, and ducked through.

I could see Sora's faint footprints in strewn sand. When we reached the opening of the cavern, I stayed tucked against the wall, with Kaze following suit.

Sora was sitting on the ground, facing the drawing of him and Kairi. His face was intent, with no idea of our spying. Steadily, his hand imprinted something additional to the drawing. When he pulled his hand away, I could see. It was his hand, stretching out over the distance between them, holding up to her, half of a star shaped fruit. A paopu fruit.

When Kaze gave a quick and nearly inaudible intake of breath, which meant she understood the meaning of the picture.

But something else caught my eyes, taking me away from Sora and his drawing.

A door, on the far wall, where my pictures had all been, and were now gone. Around the outer cracks of the door, yellow light glowed. I could feel the pull of it, even from this distance.

And here, beside the door, was man dressed in a dark cloak, his face hidden.

I couldn't keep from gasping. We were suck, in this little cave, with a creepy looking stranger.

"Wha- Who's there?" Sora turned, not seeming to see him.

"I've come to see the door to this world." His voice was deep and slow.

"Huh?" Sora started.

The door? Did that have to do with the strange door in this cavern?

"This world has been connected."

"That's what Solace was talking about." I whispered to Kaze.

"Huh?" she hissed back.

My heart nearly stopped beating. All Kaze knew about Solace was that he was my pet lizard.

"Wh- What are you talking about?" Sora stood quickly.

"Tied to the darkness…" The man seemed to mock him. "Soon to be completely eclipsed."

"Well, whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this. Huh? Wh- where did you come from?" It looked as though he had just seen the sinister person.

"You do not know what lies beyond the door."

"So?" Kaze suddenly burst out, jumping ahead of me and into their view. Sora looked more startled than ever, but he must have been relieved to find he wasn't alone.

"There is so much to learn. You understand so little."

"Doesn't change a thing about us!" Kaze shouted again, not in the least skittish. "You think I don't understand much? Well, come take me on, and you'll see!" She held up her fists full of wrath.

The cloaked man chuckled.

"Oh yeah? Well, you'll see. I'm gonna get out there and learn what's out there!" Sora, sided with Kaze, was just as defiant.

"A meaningless effort." It was infuriating how he spoke, so slow and as though he held all the power in the worlds.

And then something clicked. The feeling, about how our plan to set sail was failed already, how more important things were overshadowing the present.

"You mean, we won't set sail?" I asked quietly. I know he heard me, because the hood of the cloak turned to face me.

He looked back at Sora and Kaze. "One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

The two before me turned their gaze, and I looked into each of their eyes, the sea blue and the always changing green brown, I felt no fear, but I felt no understanding either.

And then I looked back to the door, and he was gone.

XxXxXxX

"You know, he wasn't talking to you when he said that thing about knowing nothing and understanding nothing." Kaze leaned against the wooden wall beneath the deck her eyes still fiery.

"How do you know?" I asked, my eyes on Kairi and Sora, where they sat on the docks.

"That means you know something." Kaze forced me to look at her. "What do you know about this that none of us else do?"

I sighed. "Nothing. All I know is that this sailing off into another world is crazy, and I'm being pessimistic and guessing it's doomed."

"It's not doomed!" Kaze exclaimed.

"You asked." I said under my breath. "Look, I don't have any more idea about this than you guys do." That wasn't exactly the truth, but the truth would be like a single thread unweaving a whole sweater. And I couldn't have that. That sweater was my protection. Without it, I was naked.

"Hmm." Kaze let us drift into silence.

"You know, Riku has changed." Kairi's voice drifted up to us.

"What do you mean?"

I couldn't believe Sora didn't see it after even today.

"Well…" Kairi sounded uncertain.

"You okay?" Sora leaned his head in towards her.

"Sora, let's take the raft and go- just the two of us!" Kairi suddenly exclaimed, her voice excited and feverish.

Kaze jumped forward, alarmed, ready to shout something. I put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Huh?" It was hard to decipher Sora's face when the setting sun shone in my eyes.

"Just kidding!" Kairi giggled. But it came a little too late, and a little forced.

"Good." Kaze muttered under her breath, glaring at them through a flop of hair.

"You're the one that's changed, Kairi." Sora said, confused.

"Maybe…" Kairi turned her attention out to the sea. "You know, I was a little afraid at first. But now, I'm ready. No matter where I go, or what I see, I can always come back here."

"Right?" She turned to Sora after a moment of silence.

"Yeah, of course."

"Sora, don't ever change." Kairi smiled at him.

"Huh?" Sometimes I had a hard time grasping how oblivious Sora could be.

Kairi stood up, her figure set glowing from the burning sun. "I just can't wait. Once we set sail, it'll be great."

Her enthusiasm almost made me believe we would set sail.

XxXxXxX

I could see right through Lune. I could see to her worry, her fear, her skittishness.

"They're calling for a storm tonight." She had told us. "Nothing big, but I want all the animals left loose."

Left loose? We only did that when it was hurricane warning in effect. When I had asked her that, she had repeated. "It's nothing big. They'll be fine."

But every animal? She was lying. I could see that clear as day. Something was wrong.

I explained my fears to Karo as we fed the animals.

"If she says it's nothing, it's nothing." She assured me, like I assumed she would. "Storms don't scare Lune."

Which is why I was led to believe this was more than your average storm.

"But Karo, even the animals are on edge." As I tossed the miniature donkeys' food in their buckets, I watched them closely. They only took uncertain bites, always keeping their eyes up, when they were usually unfeasible pigs.

"They always are before a storm."

Annie began to bray, and then they all did.

"Hush, babies." Karo said, but not even her usually soothing voice quieted them.

"See? This is so unlike them!" To prove me point, the wind blew, calm before the storm all around, the clouds now heavy and dark. The long grass rippled, and Loco shied violently. That set the whole heard into gear, even the heavily pregnant Soato, our latest rescue, who was the quietest and gentlest of the bunch, spending most of her time either eating or sleeping.

I threw them out their hay, which stops the running, but they continued to snort and keep eye out. Poco began to bray, and once again, they all did, abandoning their hay and huddling in a circle, letting in even Wiley, the youngest donkey who was most bullied.

"Their going against all of their herd order and rules!" I shouted. "Something's not right!"

Karo eyed me like I was a little crazy. "Maybe it's just you who's on edge."

Yet the dogs were whimpering most of the night, and wouldn't eat, while the cats paced and meowed, sticking close to us.

_Solace, I'm right to be scared, aren't I? _

_**What leads you to believe that? **_

_You've been so quiet tonight. Today, actually. No more cryptic comments, none of your usual conversation. You have been silent. _

_**Then, yes, you do have a right. **_

_What do I do? _

_**You'll figure it out yourself. **_

The last couple of days had taught me to not even ask anymore when he said things like that. Maybe I'd just have to trust him.

I sat up in my room, a restless Kaze with me, as the storm grew closer on the horizon. Rain, Pickles, Kip, and Dee swarmed around us, stiff and just as nervous as Kaze and I.

I must have dozed off, because I awoke to the sound of booming thunder, shaking the whole house.

"The raft!" Kaze shouted, jumping up from the window seat and sending cats everywhere. A cold feeling twisted in my stomach. This is why we weren't going to make it out on the raft.

"Wait Kaze"- I called to her, but she was gone down the hallway. "Oh no!"

Was she crazy? It was just a raft! Something bigger was happening!

But I couldn't abandon her. Not Kaze, who was like my other half. I didn't know how long I was asleep for, but there was no light on in my room, and through the dark, something moved.

I let out a strangled cry, stumbled back.

_**It's just me. **_

Relief washed over me, but I still felt on edge, my nerves grated by steel.

I grabbed the little lizard and set him on my shoulder, and shot out into the hallway, sliding on the wooden floor. I barely had time to throw on my shoes before I wrenched open the door, which was ripped from my hands and smashed against the side of the house.

"Pinto, Kaze, Hihoshi, Karo?" I heard Lune call, as she came down the hall. I didn't have time to stop. Lune wouldn't let me go out after Kaze, but I was the only one who could reason with the stubborn girl.

Taking a hurried breath, I stepped out into the storm.

Only to be pulled back by someone.

"Are you crazy?" Karo yelled in my ear, above the howling winds.

I turned to her, desperate. "Kaze is out there!" I couldn't keep the hysteria from my voice. Kaze could do something rash, and get herself killed in a natural disaster like this.

Karo's face turned ash white. She disappeared around the corner, appearing seconds later with two raincoats and Hihoshi. She shrugged hers on before handing one to me.

"Let's go!"

"What's going on?" Lune was coming down the stairs, but it was too late. I dashed out.

I hadn't known the winds would be this strong. My raincoat was ripped from my hands, gone in a flash of black material. I felt a strong hand grab mine.

Karo, holding on to me, so we wouldn't be separated. She had Hihoshi too, though the troublesome girl twisted in her grip.

As we raced down the main path, I was barely aware of the objects flying by. Table umbrellas, lawn chairs, little pieces of kindling. The wind blew us back, so strong I was afraid anything lighter than me could be blown away.

Which Kaze was.

We reached the shore, with still no sign of Kaze. But then, who knew how fast she could run if she felt she needed to.

The ocean was a war zone. Waves crashed against the shore, splintered pieces of wood from a boat lying about. The waves rose like anger monster, crashing down with brutal force.

Most of the homes this close to the water had been abandoned, and were in a bad state, destroyed or ruined. The shoreline was empty, people fleeing from their homes to the safer ones inland.

"She's not here!" I was relieved and distressed at the same time. If she wasn't here, that meant she hadn't tried to brave the ocean's massive waves to get to the island. But if she wasn't here, where was she?

"No!" Karo screamed, and pointed straight ahead. "She's in the boat!"

About twenty yards out, Kaze was stranded, the boat tossed around like cheap toy.

"We gotta save her!" I rushed into the water.

It sucked at my ankle, then my knees, the undertow dragging me out. I was carried out above my waist, and a wave crashed over me, leaving me spluttering for air, swallowing water.

"Kaze!" I gasped. The boat was too far now.

Another wave crashed over, leaving my vision blurred. Something was thrown out at me.

A rope.

"Pull me in!" Kaze shouted, the other end of it securely in her hands.

I grabbed it, struggling to keep a footing in the sand, as I was yanked out. Every step back I took was countered, the water wanting nothing more than to drag me down and drown me.

But I took another step, then another. My eyes closed, and I focused on nothing but my steps. It was getting shallower. But my eyes stayed shut until Karo's arms wrapped around me.

"Pinto!" she squeezed my briefly, before pulling Kaze from the boat and hugging her tight too.

"There's a leak in my boat." Kaze gasped, absolutely drenched. I was too. "It was sinking."

Karo pushed her sopping hair from her face, raindrops rolling off her nose and chin. "Take mine. It was tied in deeper water."

Which meant hers hadn't been smashed against the ground as much.

"Hoshi's getting it."

Sure enough, Hihoshi was there, towing the boat beside her as she ran along the dock.

"You're welcome." She spat, and tossed the rope to Karo.

I looked at the crammed boat. "It'll capsize with all us in!"

Karo wordlessly began to throw things out of it. Soggy granola bars, extra bags, a fashion magazine that was instantly taken to the wind. She threw us each a life jacket, which we rarely wore, but with the exception of life-threatening waves, we wore. Except Hihoshi.

"Hoshi, just put it on!" Karo begged.

"Make. Me." Hihoshi shouted over the roar of waves.

"We can't go to the island! It's too dangerous!" I clamored.

"Sora and all them are over there!" Kaze cried. "We've got to help them!"

"Fine!" I jumped in the boat. "Let's just go then."

Kaze sat down beside me, instantly grabbing the sides as it rocked dangerously. Karo pulled Hihoshi in with her.

I groped for a paddle, and without looking up, started to row. The undertow pulled us out, but then the waves forced us back. Karo held her head up, keeping the island in sight for us.

I don't know how far we got, but my arms ached, and my eyes stung from the salty water.

"Right!" Karo called after a tremendous wave blew us off course. Another hit, and water flooded the boat.

"Hihoshi, you need to bail!" Karo directed, searching for a bucket.

I don't remember being this scared, ever. It was real fear, fear of drowning in this ocean. All I did was count steady breaths and paddle, without looking around me.

"Land ho!" Karo called, and soon my paddle struck hard sand. I pulled myself from the boat, stumbling into the raging water.

The other three followed behind me.

"What do we do?" I gasped. I couldn't see anyone here.

"I love this weather." Hihoshi grinned out of nowhere, flashing her pearly teeth.

I turned back to the rest of the island. The wind bite, and the rain hurt, it was pelting so hard. My vision was disoriented, and my knees and muscles felt weak.

And then I saw it again.

The dancing spot of ink on the ground, that rose, to stare, with those eyes. Empty, soulless. The thing from my dream.

My eyes flickered from it back up again. More rising shadows. More than I could count, coming to form.

The whole island was dotted with the creatures of darkness.


	3. Eclipsed

Chapter three started

**Eclipsed **

_That's what it would look like if the sun became complete darkness. –Pinto _

If I thought the creatures were bad, I didn't look up above me. In the sky, hideous and true, was a giant black orb, like a pulsing heartbeat of its own.

And I couldn't stop the scream that leaked from my lips.

"What is that?" Karo looked sick.

Kaze, for once, didn't say a word. And the look on her face ripped through my heart like a sword. Her eyes, wide, were hollow. Like all hope had gone dead, like the terror that held me tight was strangling her. Like she knew this was the end.

My body shook. Something channeled me on; something spoke through my wall. Something, or someone, gave me their own courage.

I grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard.

"That –is –nothing –to –worry –about." I spoke forcefully. It must have worked. Because I had her back, the sister that gave me all the strength I needed when I had none.

But the orb…

It was out of my control, so I had to work with what was.

"We need to find Riku and Kairi." The swarms of creatures were growing larger. "And kick these thing's butts."

"Up there!" Karo called, her voice whipped back by the wind. And I followed her gaze to the plateau, where stood Sora, and Riku.

Kaze shot past me, desperate to get to them. She leapt over the creatures when she could, other times kicking them away swiftly, knocking them back momentarily so she could be on her way.

I followed, darting past the hungry figures. They slashed at my legs, leaping about. With a cry, I countered one as I threw itself at my face, a mass of wiggling black that spooked me more than anything.

We were at the Seaside Shack. We saved time and kept safer by pulling ourselves up onto the roof, then jumping across it, landing the same place we would have if we had taken the confined and closed staircase. Kaze though, was faster than I was, and the creatures bordered my lifting legs.

The stronger the storm got, the more my heart pounded, harder, faster. Across the bridge, more pieces of board had gone missing. I was half bent, fighting the wind, when the scene before us unfolded.

_So much of this is out of my control…_

Sora had his back to us, and was yelling something at Riku. I thought I heard through the disorder, "Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you."

Riku had his back to us. He looked from there, unshaken and calm.

"The door has opened."

_NO! _

"What?" Sora called back, fighting against the fear and storm.

Was I the only one who had pieced this together?

"The door has opened, Sora!" he turned around, and I saw the fire. Black fire, burning within his eyes.

And I understood what Solace had meant when he had said that Riku was too far to come back.

_He's gone. He's never coming back, I know this now._

Something was possessing him, I swear.

"Now we can go to the outside world!" Excitement tinged the awful cool of his voice.

"What are you talking about? We've got to find Kairi first!" Sora called, understanding showing through. He saw what was wrong with Riku too. Or so I thought.

"Kairi's coming with us." Riku sounded angry now. Harsh and hollow.

He looked up to the purple and black mass, that pulled the island apart piece by piece. The comet in sky that terrified me, yet compelled me. There were no words for it.

"Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again." He seemed to stare at in wonder, anticipation, not seeing the truly destructive thing it was.

And just the thought of leaving Lune and Costo behind hurt. But it was my fault anyhow. I had run out the door, away from Lune. What did that say, did it say how much I really cared? Or was that how I cared, enough to throw her feelings aside?

"There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the dark!"

But I am.

Riku held out his hand.

Sora looked at him, fear in his eyes. "Riku…"

Blackness appeared at Riku's feat, climbing up his legs like ugly weeds, consuming him.

Sora jumped forward towards the growing darkness, his hand outstretched. But he couldn't quite make it.

Because Hihoshi, out of nowhere, knocked his hand away in effort to clamp hers to Riku's.

"NO!" Karo screamed, her appearance just as sudden as Hihoshi's, and slapped the young girl's hand away.

The loathing in Hihoshi's eyes were nothing like the one in Riku's. Hihoshi didn't say a word. Her actions spoke louder. Hand trembling in fury, she struck it out, scratching Karo hard against the cheek with her long nails.

I was aware of Karo's trembling lips, the tears pooling in her eyes. At the same time, I saw the darkness devouring Riku, taking him away, my friend.

_My friend. _

And through the darkness, appearing the same time those words drifted through my mind, there was a light, a flash through the dark. It came from my hands. From Sora's, and Kaze's, and Hihoshi's and Karo's.

So looking down, I saw the weapon of light in my hands.

It was like a giant key, but looking like no key I had ever seen. With the brief and wondrous look I took at it, it imprinted in my mind, green, different colours of green, twisting ivy leaves, tiny buds and shoots of flowers, of deeper colours. But it wasn't exactly its physical appearance that held me so much.

It was the way it felt.

_**Keyblade… **_

It wasn't Solace. It was that voice again…

_**Keyblade…**_

The word rang through mind, leaving awe and pure strength behind like a spring breeze.

I looked up. Riku was gone.

In the place of losing Riku to that darkness, I found this key of light. And with a sweep of my eyes, I saw so had everyone else.

But I wouldn't be lost to this, not like Riku was lost to that darkness, not seeming to process all that was happening around. I could see it. The shadow creatures, the ball of death, growing with every second, the wind and rain.

"Kairi." I gasped, her name burning on my tongue. "We have to find Kairi."

The look in Sora's eyes was enough. He was going, before even I could unglue myself from my spot, he was going to find Kairi.

_**The secret place. **_

Solace was there before I had even fully form the question.

Mindful of the cold feeling in my stomach that told me this was very, very wrong, I'm safe to say I'd never run so fast in my life. But I didn't know there were going to be times I would run much, much faster.

I don't even remember much of the creatures coming after me. Maybe there were less this time, maybe it was the blanket of safety the weapon, feeling 'right' in my hands, gave me, or maybe Solace was numbing me with his own courage and power. All that mattered was that I got to the secret cavern.

Were the entrance of the cavern used to be, was instead, an elaborate pewter door, not unlike the one I had seen in my dream. If I had been able to find the strength to open that one, I could open this.

Though the walls of the tunnel seemed to shake, and tiny piece of rock and dropped down, I rushed on once I had entered. I couldn't turn back now. Solace though, would have had to increase the dosage of whatever he was using to calm me. Because, there was no way I would have entered that death tunnel in my right mind.

I stopped short when I saw Sora and Kairi.

"Kairi!" he called, relieved.

She turned around, and all hope I had disappeared.

She was pale, cold, barely stand up on her feet. Her body seemed to quiver and sway. She looked downright sick.

"Sora…" She sounded faint, gone. Her voice was inhumane in the eerie cave, the subtle light of the cave cast across her face uncannily.

But still, she staggered a few steps forward, trying to get to him.

The blast of darkness that blew from the door mingled with my cry. The giant pulse of black wind sent me skidding backwards, into the hard wall. Kairi was blown forward, directly to Sora.

He reached out his hands, stepping to catch her. Just as she reached him, when her body should have impacted to his, she passed right through, fading to nothing in a single instant of events.

The blackness was even stronger, dragging me sideways across the rocks, until there was only empty air on my back, and I was sent flying back.

I felt impact of something, but not hard, like the door. When I did feel the door, it was less pain then I expected.

And when I found myself thrown onto the sand, Sora atop me, somebody else below, did I realize it was Kaze who had softened the blow. Struggling out, I looked up, into-

Nothing. A great, purple nothingness.

No beach, no water, no main island farther out. Only fragments of sand, slowly being drawn up, pieces of that and the rest of our island swirling around the giant ball of darkness, forever growing larger.

And I realized that's what it would look like if the sun became complete darkness.

And that's when another creature from my dream came into my shifting view. It was the massive, black being.

Fear stabbed me. Solace's grip on me was slipping.

I wasn't aware of Kaze, of Sora, of anything but that.

It had to be a dream. A dream, just like it had been before.

_Wake up, wake up, wake up! _

My body gave a huge shudder. It had to be dream.

_It's a dream! If this isn't a dream, I won't be able to take this anymore. _

_If it's no a dream, then I'm already crazy. _

_**It's not a dream. **_


	4. Falling from Grace

As I'm re-reading the older chapters of this story, I'm filled with two distinct feelings

**Falling from Grace**

_I'm falling from the darkness, into the light. -Pinto_

Not…not a dream?

Then how would I survive? How would we live? We would die. That's what would happen. We would die.

_We're gonna die! _

I couldn't catch my breath. I think I was hyperventilating. I know I was panicking.

But we were going to die!

I could feel desperate tears blurring my eyes, felt the sand at me knees as I collapsed to them, heard the voices of Kaze and Sora.

And still I shook, still I sobbed, still unable to control this. Heart beat faster than safe, black spots coming before my eyes.

I felt so weak.

Then there were voices again. My friends' voices. I could hear scattered bits and pieces of them. They were getting louder, the words clearer. My lungs could fill with air. My body could cease its contracting. The tears faded.

I could feel peace spreading through my body, ease. It was Solace, back with the medicine.

I shut my eyes, letting it sooth me, like a warm bath. That's all that mattered. Nothing was wrong. Everything was okay. I had my lifeline, my safe haven, the keeper of my mind.

Somebody pulled me to my feet. Maybe I got up myself. I don't know anymore. I felt fuzzy, warm, drunk. Things were clearing though, everything coming into full focus, though the cool stayed.

With eyes wide open, I counted each breath I took.

And I knew that Kaze was brave. I knew she was full of more daringness than I. But I never knew she was this courageous. Or, it could be classified as stupid. Maybe I was the stupid one, letting all these casual thoughts run through my mind at such a crucial moment. Maybe the 'miracle drug' Solace had me on was in overdose. If it was, I had no complaints.

Anyway, I had no idea the fearlessness of Kaze was so great, until I watched her go running full throttle at the beast.

I nearly choked. I'd rather be out there risking my life then watching Kaze risk hers.

With that thought, the fear was creeping up again. In my dream, I beat this. But in dreams, you can do anything. In dreams, things are whacked up. When it's real life…

We could get hurt, we could get very hurt. My heart pounded once again.

_Dose me up Solace, send me flying out to beat the creature of the dark, let me face this without fear. _

I sang inside my head as most fear was erased.

"Let's go." I whispered to Sora, that weapon coming to hand. I was ready.

Side by side with Sora, I took even, long steps to stand beside Kaze. I kept my eyes glued to the towering 'thing' only to look at Kaze for a moment. In her eyes flickered the slightest fear, and maybe regret, but her endless spirit snuffed it out.

"We're in this together." Kaze turned to us, flashing a lethal grin. "Nothing can do this and get away with it."

With that, she threw herself at it.

Her forceful swing cut through the wrist of it with a thud. The giant creature was almost passive about it, barely noting she was down below. Maybe it was stupid. Maybe it didn't even feel the blow.

I took one big breath. It was just like jumping in a pool of cold water. Once I was in, I'd be fine. So I took it the Kaze way, and just ran. Hitting with all my might, I was shocked when the key-like weapon jarred, and I was rebounded, thrown onto the ground. When I was up, Sora was beside Kaze, giving it his all.

The creature, hunched over before, leaned back, balancing all its weight on its tiny, delicate feet. In the monster's hands, formed by its dark master, a dark ball of hideous colours grew, looking almost translucent as it grew like a balloon. It gave a stinging crackle, and drifting balls of dark acid fell from it like rain.

_Like sick, dark rain. _

"Stay away from this stuff!" I heard Kaze shout, through everything still throwing herself endlessly at the creature.

I couldn't fight. I didn't know how she did. Everything was slow, like being under water. I couldn't move, I couldn't think properly.

_**FIGHT! **_

I'd never heard that fierceness from Solace. It echoed in my head viscously. And most importantly, it freed me.

Jumping, I slashed at the creature, one, two, three, strikes.

Something hit me. I didn't know what, didn't know how, but I could feel myself knocked off my feet.

_I need to get back up. Get back up on my feet. I can do this. _

Trying to stand, trying to get back and save myself, save my friends.

_I won't live in a world of darkness. _

_I won't stand aside to watch my life destroyed piece by piece. _

_I won't let this happen. _

My feet under me, pushing up, slipping, face hitting the ground hard, feeling a sharp pain in my back as something collided into it, trying to get back up again.

"Pinto!" it was Sora, but I couldn't speak, to say 'help me', or to say I was okay.

I was on my back now, looking up. The giant creature was being sucked up into the dark ball, an invisible force pulling us up, with us sure to be next.

_I can't lose Sora and Kaze, I can't lose my friends, my family. _

The force was pulling me up too, dragging me from the sand, and upwards.

_But what…what if my life here was a lie all along? _

Blackness tugging at my conscious, I was losing control.

_What if I was destined for this? _

I was coming so close to nothing, I just had to hang on-

_I can feel it out there. _

XxXxX

A soft breeze ruffled my hair, the scents of home surrounding me. I felt sand beneath my feet, firm enough, but feeling as if on the edge of slipping away.

Something was happening.

Something connected.

Something somewhere out there just clicked. Just connected with me.

"_Hello?" _

The voice, filled with such confusion and wonder as me, was soft, scared. That voice…

_How do know you? _

Except for the sand, all was dark around me. Still, I felt no fear or panic. Only peace and calm, and this time it wasn't Solace's work.

It was that voice's.

Because somebody out there somewhere, had just felt what I felt.

Sand blurred, my head spun, everything was disappearing, my conscious included.

_I'll find you._

And that was the last I remembered. After that, everything was different.

_I'm falling from the darkness, into the light. _


	5. The World Between

Ok, I got my PS2 fixed, thanks 2 my friends dad

**The World Between **

This is the first line of the first page - Solace

Pain.

A nagging, irritating pain, and suffering at a sudden intake of breath.

Those were the first things that awakened me from this so-called unconsciousness.

My head pounded, my body sore everywhere. I was tired, so tired…

Something wet and slobbery dragged across my face, and hot, stinky breath bombarded me.

I was awake now.

"Ahh…" I groaned, scrubbing my face with my hands, and opening an eye.

A wet, black nose and pink tongue greeted me once again

"Alright poochie, okay." I pushed the dog gently away.

It jumped back right in front of me. It was then I realized I was slumped against a wall in sitting position.

With another look, I came face-to-face with the dog again. It had droopy ears and happy brown eyes.

"Aren't you cute?" I said faintly, a wave of nausea forcing my eyes shut.

When I opened them, I was more acutely aware of where I was. An alley, with boxes and crates stacked up, soft yellow light coming from windows opposite me.

"Ohhh…" the moan was somewhere near by.

Sora. Kaze, Karo, Hihoshi. It all came back to me. The darkness, the fight, the end…

Where they here?

As I turned, anxious, the big yellow dog leapt off of me, and ran to the figure across the alley, nearly hidden from view by the crates that surrounded them.

I had never felt so relieved in my life. Sora.

"What a dream…" he muttered, his eyes fluttering. They settled to shut, his face relaxing as he neared sleep again.

"Bark!" the dog pounced, making Sora jolt.

"This isn't a dream!" he was wide awake, blue eyes flickering to his surroundings, then to me. "Pinto!" he gasped.

"Sora." I said, feeling tears spring to my eyes.

"Kaze." Even in this groggy state, I heard Kaze's voice, and the weak chuckle behind it.

"Very funny." I called hoarsely, feeling as though I had been run over by a freight train multiple times.

"Hoshi and Karo are here." She said, then gasped.

"What?" Sora exclaimed, ridged.

"Where…where are we?" she asked faintly.

I didn't answer. It took all I could to try and stand, dragging myself up the wall. With shaky legs, I managed to keep on my feet, though I was slumped against the wall. My legs felt like rubber, and I couldn't begin to say where I had bruises. I had bruises where bruises shouldn't be.

"I don't know…" Sora trailed off, slowly getting to his feet.

"This is such a mess…" I whispered, trying to block images of the terrifying orb, the destroyed island, the misery and destruction. "Just one big, huge, mess."

"Oh boy." Sora ran a hand through his hair, then suddenly crouched down beside the dog. "Do you know where we are?"

_Solace?_

I was instantly terrified the moment the thought entered my head. Had I lost Solace? My only hope?

_**I'm here.**_

__My legs went even weaker. I had him.

_You saved me. _

_**You saved yourself. **_

___No, you kept my cool for me. I was ready to blow. _

A dark chuckle echoed inside my brain.

_**I was only partially responsible for that. **_

__The dog pricked its ears, though I heard no sound. With a sharp wag of his tail, he took off around the corner, running with the grace and finesse of a slinky.

"Hey!" Kaze called, on her feet and about to scramble after it.

"It's just a dog." Sora put his hand out to stop her.

_So…you mean I was brave myself too? _

_**You were very brave. **_

___You mean, you were the one who helped me fall from the darkness? _

_**I can't take credit for that. **_

___I think I already know, but was it me? _

_**Not quite… **_

__His amusement at my confusion vexed me.

"Pinto!" arms swamped me, half choking me in a deadly hug.

"Hey to you too, Karo." I wheezed.

"You have no idea…" she hugged me even harder, unable to finish her sentence.

"I love you too." I was having a hard time breathing.

She released me, twirling to grab Sora next.

"I love you too, Sora!" she cuddled him like a rabbit.

_You're awfully calm. I sure don't feel that way. Where are we, why are we here, what's going on, how do we fix this, who can I blame? _

I drilled at Solace, once again annoyed with him. My patience was scraping rock bottom, and Solace seemed to have the answers to all my questions and more, though never willing to give them up.

_**I'm calm because there is nothing really to worry about. **_

___Oh yeah? Easy for you to say. Where the hell are you, anyway?_

_**Here. **_

__There was weight on my left shoulder. I turned my head to look at the smooth little lizard.

_I hate you sometimes. _

I retorted to him.

He laughed.

_**But you love me all the other times. **_

__I didn't think I needed a reply. My pride didn't matter in the end I guess, because Solace knew he was right, as he could feel every feeling and emotion the moved through me.

"How's Hihoshi?" I turned around, distracting myself from Solace.

"She's frickin fine." Her voice came from behind the pile of crates. But when she stepped out of their protection, my heart nearly stopped.

Wings.

Sprouted from the fifteen-year-olds back, were dark, leathery, bat wings.

"What the fu-" Kaze gasped.

"Hoshi?" Karo's eyes were wide, horrified, her lip trembling.

"Like them?" she hautily turned around, suddenly flaring them out, surprising us all, and making me leap back in fear and disgust.

"What happened?" Karo whispered.

"Can't say I know." Hihoshi folded her wings back up, blowing a dark flop of bangs from her eye. "But I'm not complaining."

The wings repulsed me. Still, I couldn't deny, they painted the perfect picture of Hihoshi. She was lethal, fierce, dark, smart. The queen of pain and misery. And I couldn't help but think…

I kind of liked this Hihoshi better.

Still, how could that have happened? On the way from our island to here?

_This is sick. _

I could feel Solace's elation.

_**Isn't she fabulous? **_

___What is she, your _creation _or something? _

_**Admit it. You like it too. It's her true form. **_

___Fine. Just a little. It's very Hoshi…She seems like somebody different. _

_**Like the somebody you always pictured her to be? **_

___…Yes… _

"Wings, b-tch. Wings." Hihoshi grinned, rhapsodic.

With them, Hihoshi seemed so different. Solace was right. She _was _like the person I had imagined her to be.

Her dark purple hair, with the long bangs that often covered eyes of the same colour, darkly lined lids and long, thick, black lashes. Her ashy skin, pale lips, her dark nails. It was her personality. Though only a year older than me, she seemed so different. Fearless, angry, stunning and hauty. Her ambitions, her power, her influence.

She was amazing, and not until now did I see it in full blossom.

_Like a dark, poisonous flower._

Things would be different from now on, I knew that.

I looked everybody over, the sudden exhaustion and thankfulness that washed over me overwhelming. Our clothes were ruined, it didn't take much to see that. Ripped, soggy, muddy, torn. Faces smeared with mud, Hihoshi's with a bit of blood. We were bruised, scratched, cut, sore. And above all, we were lost.

"Where to now?" Sora asked, his voice hoarse and thick.

Karo suddenly burst. "What happened?" she sounded so close to tears, Kaze put a hand on her arm.

"We don't know." I said gently. "But…we've got to find out."

"What about Lune, Costo, our _home?_" she exclaimed.

Were the rest of us in shock? Karo seemed to be the only one that the reality of the situation was setting in on.

"We're gonna find out." I assured her again, though the lost feeling was creeping up my legs.

So I started walking instead. I may not be able to say anything, or change anything that way, but if I could walk on, for the sake of myself, for the sake of us all…

Along the cobblestone ground, out of the alleyway, turned the corner, until I was standing at the top of steps.

"Man…this is weird." Sora came to stand beside me, our shoulders bumping.

We stood before a quaint little square, the lanterns glowing soft yellow, and stained glass windows emitting a warm light. It was very old-fashioned, with the walls built of stone. Everything about it felt safe, friendly.

_A little haven._

And with Sora at my side, I felt a little stronger.

"What…what's that?" Karo's eyes grew wide as she pointed to something pacing the square.

It was white and pudgy, kind of like teddy bear, with a big round pom-pom like ball bouncing away on its head, and a round little nose.

Karo slipped down the stairs ahead of us all, crooning, "Hello, do you know where we are?" she held out a hand. "We're a little lost."

But something else caught my attention. Leaning against a lamp post, and dressed in odd looking clothes that suited the out-dated town, was a blond haired boy.

Sora saw him too, and turned to me slowly.

"You wanna bet that's Tidus?" I could barely push the words out.

Sora nodded slowly, then we both ran down the steps, much as my legs muscles protested.

"Tidus!" I called, skidding to a stop in front of him, while Sora swamped him with a hug, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey…" Tidus struggled under Sora's display of happiness. "What are you doing?"

Sora suddenly jumped off him like he had been shocked.

"It's us Tidus." Kaze was beside us. "Kaze, Sora, and Pinto."

He looked at us, his brow furrowed.

Sora's grin faded all together. "Tidus, don't you remember us?"

He shook his head. "No…sorry."

Kaze put her hands on her hips. "Yes you do. You're just joking around, and a few seconds from now, we'll see Selphie walk down those steps-" she pointed to the stairs we had just come down, with the iron poles and chain links that separated either sides of them in a cheery look, and turned back to him. "-And you'll take off, because you're hiding from her."

He gave her a strange look. "Selphie?"

"Yeah." Sora said, though he looked glum now. "Don't you remember anything?"

"I'm Kaze." Kaze planted a hand on her chest. "I'm spunky and wild and we got into pointless fights over things a lot."

He shook his head.

"Sora. He was your friend. He's friendly and funny, was scared of clowns in grade two." She tried.

Tidus didn't answer.

"Pinto." Kaze was exasperated. "You must know Pinto for goodness sake. You've had a huge crush on her forever. You follow her around, you're practically _in love_ with her."

Looking even more bewildered, Tidus gave his head one more final shake.

"Well, at least it's a relief he doesn't remember you." Kaze said, throwing a glance at me.

I shrugged, fighting down the rising emotions and running my hand through my hair. This wasn't good. How many other people from the island would we find that didn't remember us?

"My world was attacked by shadows." He explained. "I got separated from mom and dad, and finally came here. I wonder what happened to mom and dad…"

"He remembers the island…but not us." Sora said, looking down at his feet.

"But, you know, I keep seeing weird faces today. An odd pair walked by just an hour ago." He shrugged, then peered at us closely. "You looking for someone? If you are, it's a big town, so check everywhere."

"Thanks Tidus." Kaze said sarcastically.

I took a step back, feeling flooded.

Shadows.

It was hitting me now.

Were those the black things I had seen in my dream, and on the island?

"No, I'm not Kupo." I heard Karo, and turned in her direction distractedly. She was crouched down by the little teddy bear type creature. "I'm Karohane."

"Alright Kupo, but like I said, the First District is the only safe place." It said in a very squiggly voice.

"I know, but I need to find friends and family."

"Be careful. Seeing all this town takes time, Kupo, especially for newcomers."

"You look distressed." Sora's voice was close. I turned, shrugging again. He gave me a tiny understanding smile, regardless of the confusion he was probably feeling at this moment too.

"Aren't we all?" but my brain was skipping ahead, already rushing on.

We'd be okay. It was what I had expected. This was what all the fights, the pictures, the images, the creatures led up to. This is what I was thinking of. Why I had the feelings, of how something much bigger, much more important was coming, like how I'd experience feelings so much stronger, learn so much more. This was the start of it all.

"You know what I think?" Hihoshi was standing in front of me, slim arms crossed. "You guys are taking this _way _too seriously."

"Then what do you expect we do?" Karo almost snapped, marching up to the girl.

She smirked, then pointed behind her with one dark fingernail, to a brightly a store by the steps. "I say we ask somebody there."

_Accessory Shop. _

It read in neon bright letters.

Trudging up the stairs and led buy Hihoshi, I raised an eyebrow when she flashed us a sarcastic grin and pushed open the doors.

I was ready. I was ready now for what ever came, regardless of the circumstance.

"Hi there, how can I…"

It was the first thing I heard, before I was even completely inside the store.

"Aww, it's only some kids." A tough looking blond man stood behind a counter, looking annoyed and disappointed.

It took only a flicker of my eyes to assess to store. A large, red and yellow bricked fireplace seemed to take up most of the space, with a cabinet to one side of us, and a small glass coffee table in the middle. And, of course, the counter with the middle-aged man. It was warm, friendly.

"I'm not a kid!" Sora stepped forward, down from the wooden step even with the door we were all crammed upon, concluding, "I'm Sora."

He turned, holding out a hand to include us. "And this is Karo, Kaze, Pinto, and Hihoshi."

"Besides." Karo said, flouncing down to stand with Sora, sweeping her long hair back with a slender hand, "I'm seventeen."

The guy was looking her over like the eye candy goddess she was. Karo didn't even notice his appraisal, like usual.

"Okay, simmer down." He held his hands up in surrender. "So, Sora and co, why the long faces?"

Maybe he was taking in my unsmiling, sullen expression. Or Kaze's dirt streaked one.

"You lost or something?" He ventured.

I winced.

"No!" Sora exclaimed, then, when his cheeks burned red, he looked down. "Yeah…"

The guy looked us over intently, an understanding look coming into his pale blue eyes. "Well…Welcome to Traverse Town."

"Traverse Town…" Sora said slowly.

_Traverse Town, where? _

_**Another world Traverse Town. **_

__Solace said, being a typical smart ass.

"So Gramps, is this really another world?" Sora crossed his arms, oblivious to the offensiveness in his own words.

"Don't call me gramps." He growled, rolling the toothpick in his mouth. "The name is Cid. And I'm not sure what you're talking about, but this sure ain't where you're from."

Of course it wasn't.

But why did my legs seem weaker, forcing me to lean against the door, slumped. Was it that the words spoken by an utter stranger drained me of all hope and strength I had left?

Or…was it relief?

"Well…guess we better start looking for Riku and Kairi." Sora seemed to deflate.

I didn't miss how Hihoshi's full lips lifted up into a half smile, half sneer.

"Well, good luck with whatever you're doing. If you ever run into trouble, you come to me. I'll look out for you." He said gruffly.

There.

Something in me rose. Words spoken by an utter stranger…

There was somebody out here already. Somebody that would help us. I found one thing I was looking for before. It was confusing. I couldn't really piece it together myself. But it was like a garden, bursting into life.

_**You fate is unraveling already.**_

__Exactly.

"Thanks Cid." Karo gave a little grateful smile that probably left Cid's train of thought destroyed. Of course, this was completely unintentional on her part; her effortless movements and actions left any male, or female, for that matter, blown away.

Appraisingly looking around, Karo was the first to speak. "Okay. Let's look around."

"For what?" Kaze frowned. "Doesn't look like there's much around. Okay, a restaurant, that shop, some houses…"

Karo shrugged. "We're looking for anything. A place to sleep, somebody to explain what's gone on…"

I was amazed at how quickly she had grasped all this. I was still in a foggy state.

I needed to walk again. Clear my head, move on, stop over-thinking.

There were stairs beside the Accessory Shop. I took them with deliberate steps. It the top, a little landing, crates and boxes stacked in the corner.

"Hey!" Kaze shouted. "Pinto, where are you going?"

I turned around.

From this view I could see my sisters, and my friend. Wherever we ended up, we'd made it together. And now, they were looking up at me, like I was a little crazy, all with mixed expressions linked with different bits of confusion and bewilder.

Well, maybe that was the story of my life. Maybe I was a little bit off my rocker. I thought outside of the box, to be nice to myself. But maybe in all honesty, I never was totally there, in comparison to every other person my age.

"I'm moving along." I called, suppressing a smile. "Don't mind me."

So they clattered up the stairs behind me, and I turned, moving up the next steps.

I felt stronger. Stronger with my friends.

"Through this door?" I turned back to them after glimpsing at the thick brown set of doors around the next turn.

"Lead the way." Kaze sighed, impatient.

Of course, for her, a door, with unknown possibilities on the other side, was one of her favorite things in life.

"Okay." With teasing exaggeration, I took steps as slow as possible towards the door.

"Pinto." With an exasperated sigh, Kaze pushed past me and wrenched the heavy looking doors open.

We were overlooking a courtyard, but standing on the higher, outer part of it. Shops and such stretched to our left and right. A black iron railing kept anyone from falling down onto the hard stone of the courtyard below.

Then, several important things happened simultaneously.

A man, dressed in old fashioned clothes of some sort, was running frantically past us. He turned around, panting and terrified. Big mistake. With that, he stumbled, and crashed to the ground with a thud. He twisted and wheezed, trying to get back up.

Then there was the bright light. It must have come from his chest. I have no other explanation for it. It rose above him, bands of radiance pulsing from it.

I wanted to stumbled backwards and hide. I wanted to run and help. But I was mesmerized; my brain and my body weren't working in sync.

As the ball of light rose, it came to take form of a heart, adding colour, red, purple, and blue, hovering above his paralyzed body. More light erupted from him, this time blue.

The next thing was the dark portal that fabricated to the right, out of complete thin air. The heart was drawn to it. It zoomed in towards it, the globe gobbling it up hungrily. With that, the dark portal seemed to get stronger, bigger, darker.

Kind of like a mini version of the darkness orb that had destroyed our island.

With that thought, the portal exploded.

From the explosion that drove me staggering back a few steps, something else came. Clad in black, the creature seemed to twitch and stutter in the air, before it somersaulted once, then froze to face us.

A helmet on its head, different parts of its body plasted with armor, and tiny, yellow, starved eyes.

Back into the dark portal it ran, feet not so much as touching the ground.

The man had disappeared.

Somehow, almost numbly, my feet were carrying me at a run to the spot where the man had lain.

In his place, dark creatures that melted like shadows from the ground rose.

_Creatures from the island. From the dream. _

It was sad I had seen creatures of the darkness in more than one state before. Dreaming, and awake.

I swung my weapon out in front of me, clinging awkwardly with two hands to the handle. I didn't know how it had even come to my hands; much less how to use it. But it never seemed to fail me in danger. At least, not yet.

I met another in air, and it bounced off, unharmed. Or at least so I thought. Two tiring slashes later, it exploded into the green and yellow orbs.

When I turned around, ready for more combat, I was met with the sight of the rest of my friends in the same position. And not a black antennae-ed creature around.

"What are these?" Kaze had just caught sight of the orbs. Her weapon, a flashy metallic colour of some sort, swung easily at her side as she freed herself from her battle positioning, shoes tapping against the cobble stone, all in an easy effort to investigate the orbs.

"The green ones-" I cut myself off quickly after blurting out that much. My face burned as all eyes were on me.

"The green ones what?" Sora's brow furrowed.

Think fast, Pinto. "The green ones look pretty." I finished lamely.

Uh-huh.

_Real _nice save.

Kaze picked up the green orb and tossed it up in the air, before catching it again. With a few seconds of contact on her skin, it melted into her, leaving her hand with the slightest green glow for a second.

"Doesn't do much." She mused. "All though, I did scrape that hand earlier…"

Earlier. Earlier when we were fighting for our lives back on the island. How much time _exactly _had passed since then? Or could to even be measured in time, since we were in a different world altogether?

Next she scooped up the yellow ball. The same thing happened to her that had happened to me: it had faded into a coin.

A grin split her face. "This is _some _type of currency." She pocketed it. "Weird, but I'm not complaining."

We stood for a moment.

"Can we get out of here?" it was Karo. She licked her lips nervously. "I mean, see what just happened to that guy? I'm not waiting around for that to happen to us."

Oh yeah.

How stupid could we be? We were standing around talking about _balls of money_ after somebody had just died…or disappeared at least, to darkness. 

Karo darted back through the doors. The rest of us were right on her heels, throwing glances back. It looked so peaceful….how did that just happen, and everything go back to normal? Like the air had just swallowed the whole event, erasing it from the present and past completely. Even so, I could feel the uneasiness in the air of, very unlike the first part of Traverse Town we had discovered.

Stepping through the doors, something I put two pieces of knowledge together suddenly. The teddy bear creature had told Karo the only safe place was the First District. The place we were entering must be the First District. That's why it felt so safe and warm; because it _was_ the only safe place.

Back to the Accessory Shop we trudged, shaken and on edge now. Would the peace last for just a moment? For us to get back on our feet? What would come around the corner next?

"They'll come at you out of nowhere."

I screamed blue murder.

With enough force to shatter every window and lamppost in this bleedingly insane town.

"Who are _you?_" Kaze dropped down instinctively into battle position, looking about, and her weapon, the same as mine in its key shape, came to her hands.

"And they'll keep coming at you."

Where _was_ that voice coming from? I felt another ear-piercing scream building up.

"As long as you wield the Keyblade."

In each of our hands, our weapons pronounced. I still couldn't get used to it. It was like…they were _connected_ to our thoughts, and to the outside world.

I slowly lifted mine up. What if I didn't want it attached to me? What if I didn't want any of this?

_Ridiculous. _

A voice in my head said.

_You were destined for this. _

And it wasn't Solace speaking.

"But why would it choose a kid like you?" the voice was musing, dark, deep.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora's deep blue eyes flashed.

"It means-" Hihoshi flexed her shoulder muscles, the sleek wings moving with her body's action. "-He doesn't think we're worth ."

"Never mind. Now, let's see that Keyblade." An arm reached out from the shadows, and I could see the man clearly now, as I stepped into view.

Brown hair, tall, dressed in black and a white shirt, wearing lots of belts…

But that was the least of my worries.

_Take it! _

I wanted to shout. To throw this weapon upon the ground at his feet.

_Take it, I want no part of it! _

_**Why? **_

___It's not…_

I faltered.

_What if it all goes…wrong? _

_**Then it does. But have faith in yourself…and remember…**_

__"There's no way you're having this!" Sora growled.

"Fine then." The man said, almost indifferently. "Have it your way."

A sword the size of my coffin materialized in his hands.

Ironic. I'd bet that thing _would _put me in my grave.

_Remember what? _

He didn't answer my question. Instead, he spoke again in riddles of fate.

_**This is the first line of the first page. **_

__The battle was on.

It didn't take long. I was the first targeted down.

I was the only one standing up tall with my weapon hanging down by my side, in what must have looked like an idiotic stance of surrender.

The sword swiped me hard to my knees, and then knocked me in motions so fast I couldn't tell what direction it came from, until I was face first on the ground.

_Dying really isn't that painful. _

Those were the last words running through my mind when a blow to my head left everything swimming, fading to nothing.

XxXxX

"Wake up you lazy bum!"

Oh no. I must be dead. Only in an afterlife could there be such 'Good Morning Sunshine' greetings.

"Or rather, bums." The feminine voice corrected herself.

I forced my eyes open, though my head was spinning.

The girl that hovered above me must have been a little older than Karo. Her short black hair curved around her face, and she grinned down at me.

Or, whoever was beside me.

"They're after you because of the Keyblade." She explained. Bad timing… "But it's really your heart they're after."

Like my heart was something any thief would go after. Not if they knew it well enough. But I didn't even truly know my won heart…

"I'm so glad you're all right, Kairi."

Oh-kay, that was Sora…

I pulled myself into sitting position. I was on a bed, wedged between Sora and Kaze, who was sitting up, and looking around her in bewilderment. .

I could tell why.

We were in some sort of room, with two beds, a set of chair clustered around a table, and walls painted green, with paintings hung around.

"Kairi? Who are you talking about? I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie!" she clamped her hands on her hips as she announced this proudly.

"Uh?" he managed to sit upright.

"I think you might have overdone it a bit, Squall." 'The Great Ninja Yuffie' turned around and called.

I scrambled back a bit.

Leaning against the wall with arms crossed and hair falling over his eyes, was the man we'd fought.

"That's Leon." He called back darkly.

_So, _Leon, _what the hell did you do to us? And more importantly, what are you _going _to do with us? _

_**Temper, temper. **_

___Oh, shut up you. _

"The Keyblade." She said in a wondrous tone, looking to where seven of our key-shaped weapons leaned against the wall. "We had to get it away from you guys to shake off those creatures. It turns out, that's how they were tracking you."

Tracking…us? But why? What did a group of mismatched teenagers possess they those _creatures _could possibly want?

"It's the only way to conceal your heart from them." Leon added. "But it won't work for long. Still hard to believe it chose you guys, of all people. And there's only supposed to be one. Besides, you're all just kids."

In that, I felt a flame of anger. Hurt us, fine. Like we standed a chance. Drag us into some hostage situation, answering questions we didn't even understand, it was all in my ability to handle. I'd felt numb since the events at home…Destiny Islands. But…doubt us?

Didn't he understand I still had my dignity? My pride and fight? And didn't he recognize that a person like me, would fight against him if he did so? Of course he didn't. Nobody did. Nobody saw the flame and will I held, or my passion to defend it.

With that surge of power, that river of fear and anger and confusion welling up inside me, I found my legs beneath me, until I was standing atop the bed.

"Who. Are. You." I pronounced with slow anger. "Who. Do. You. Think. You. Are." My teeth were gritted.

His dark eyes flew over me, then settled to peer into my own. They burned with unspoken intensity.

"I just saved your life."

That threw me off. But I didn't believe him. Didn't want to believe him.

"No you didn't!" I was barely aware of the shocked Sora and Kaze beside me. Because my cheeks burned. And Hihoshi was suddenly beside me.

"He thinks he understand us." Hihoshi seemed calm enough, but I could see the blaze in her uncanny eyes. "He thinks…he thinks were nothing yet. We're unproven. A mystery he's trying to work out in his head."

How…?

How did Hihoshi have such a _sense_? It was stronger than mine. But…it was more like she already _knew _the answers to this. Like she had already lived this.

"Listen." He commanded. His deep voice seemed to anchor me, like a force to blank my mind.

It didn't blank my mind. But I stopped shaking with my sudden rage, and I felt my knees tremble weakly.

Leon moved slowly to pick up one of the weapons.

The moment his skin came in contact, it disappeared. And in replace, came into each of our hands with that tell-tale glow of pure, radiant light.

It was a weird feeling. The pulling it gave, before it settled, comfortable, almost like it was molded to fit my grip, into my hand.

I held it out before me. It still…amazed me.

For the first time ever, I took a good look at this weapon that was connected to my fate.

It was key shaped all right, the teeth part sharp and hard. Well, mostly hard, less sharp, but still, sturdy and strong, yet lightweight to hold. It was green, different shades of green. All twisted up the neck of, like shoots of grass or vines, stems of plants, artful leaves, and flowers. Tiny blooms of multiple colours, growing larger as they neared the top. The base handle was a glowing gold.

I took all this in, yet I still couldn't quite describe the intricate pattern sculpted into it.

"Well," Leon studied us. "I guess beggars can't be choosers."

"I think." I said slowly, but calmly this time, as things settled in my brain, "You need to tell us what's going on here."

XxXxXx

"There are other worlds, besides this town, and wherever you came from."

About fifteen minutes later, Karo, Sora, Kaze, Hihoshi and I all sat on the bed, faces upturned to Leon as we absorbed the words he spoke.

"Yeah." Sora nodded, then looked confused. "At least, we thought there were."

Karo was sitting cross-legged beside Kaze, closest to the edge of the bed. "We were going to set out on a raft, all of us, and our friends, Kairi and Riku, to find new worlds."

"They were supposed to be secret." Yuffie, seated on the tabletop, supplied.

"Until now." Leon continued, his eyes intense as they glared through dark hair. "They've been kept a secret because they have never been connected. Until now."

"Is that…a bad thing?" Kaze's eyebrows knitted together in concentration and confusion. "Why does it connecting matter?"

"When the heartless came, it changed everything." He explained further.

"The heartless?" it was Karo's turn to interrupt.

"Yeah, the ones that attacked you remember?" Yuffie supplied.

"The black creatures…" I murmured.

Leon leaned against the table, crossing his arms. "Those without hearts. The darkness in people's hearts is what attracts them. And there is darkness in every heart."

That's what I was afraid of. There must be darkness in _my _heart. And I didn't want to ever see it.

"In fact…have you ever heard of someone called Ansem?"

"Ansem?" Sora swayed back in bewilderment.

"He was studying the heartless. He recorded all of his findings in a very detailed report. It would have been of great help."

"But it wasn't much use." Yuffie interrupted. "They're all gone now. Scattered throughout worlds."

"Scattered?" Karo repeated.

Yuffie shook her head sadly. "Too many worlds."

"And now, the King is looking for them." Leon finished.

"How are we supposed to know who this King is?" Kaze exclaimed.

Leon looked as though he was almost about to smile. But quickly that reaction was forced down. "I didn't think you would have known."

"He's the King of all the worlds." Yuffie exclaimed, grinning as she held out her arms. "He takes care of them. All of them."

"And he disappeared." Leon, utter darkness compared to Yuffie's cheerful, brilliant light, said.

Yuffie held up a finger. "But it's not completely hopeless. We think he's gone to find the pages of Ansem's report."

"And…how does this have to do with us?" Sora frowned.

"We need the key." Yuffie practically bounced up and down. "And _you _have it!"

"The Keyblade."

"And…" I paused, sucking in a breathful of air, as the key weapon formed into my hands. I held it out at an angle, twisting it and looking it over again. "This…" I said in a slow, amazed voice, "Is the key. And you need it."

Nodding, Leon looked specifically at me. "The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade. That's why they'll keep coming at you no matter what."

"Well, we didn't ask for this." Sora exclaimed.

_It's not like we have a choice. _

_**You **_**do**_** have a choice. You just need to make the right one. **_

__"The Keyblade chooses its master." Yuffie stifled laughter, shoulders bobbing. "And it chose you."

Sora blinked. "But…what happened to our home, our island? And Kairi and Riku?"

"You know what?" Leon sounded tired and almost sad. "I really don't know."

It hit me like a punch in the stomach. Gone. Nobody knew what happened to it. Nobody knew what would happen next.

It was erased, all like it had never happened, not a trace…

"I've heard the Keyblade can open all sorts of locks." Yuffie, out of the blue, suggested. "Of course, it has much greater powers too, but why don't you give it a try?"

Kaze, quick as a hare, did. She was standing and over by the table, where a small treasure box sat. She hesitantly tapped it with the Keyblade, and it popped open with a spring and a click. Carefully, she reached inside, pulling out a bottle, holding as gently as she would a baby.

"Elixir." She read. "What does this do?"

"Restores HP and MP." Yuffie explained matter-of-factly. At our blank expressions, she continued to explain, "Health and Magic. Very valuable."

I still felt numb. Still like my emotion was a far-off tide, ebbing and flowing, but never reaching far enough up to soothe me, cool me. My head spun like clock word. But the gears were spinning and spinning, and getting nowhere.

I felt Leon's eyes on me, intent and burning. "Sooner or later, the Heartless will find you." He said quietly. "Best prepare yourselves."

"For what?" in one instant, the confusion and pain swirled around me like ghosts.

"For the fight of your life. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready." Sora solemnly promised.

"I'm ready." Kaze was grim and determined.

Karo, eyes wide and honest, uttered, "I'm ready."

"I'm ready." Hihoshi had a dark grin stretched across her face, painting a striking and hauntingly beautiful picture.

"Yuffie, let's go find Aerith." Leon instructed. She should be here by now with the other visitors. Then he turned back to me. The dark eyes were probing, looking for my answer.

I closed my eyes. I knew the answer.

"I'm ready." I whispered.

Glass shattered. My eyes flew open. A heartless leapt through the window. Karo gave a piercing scream.

All in the same instant the words had left my lips.

XxXxX

"Leon!" Yuffie screamed.

The soldier type heartless seemed to twitch as it was suspended in the air for a second, before it landed on the ground with a clatter, and came running.

"A soldier! Yuffie, go!" Leon pointed at the door, and Yuffie took off running, retching it open and dashing through.

"Yuffie!" I heard a feminine voice cry.

"Aerith, heartless!"

Leon yelled to both, "Let's go!"

The soldier took a good look at us, and jumped back through the broken window. Leon followed.

I was glancing around in bewilderment and shock.

"Go!" Kaze shoved me forward, and as I stumbled, she leapt out the window with out a second's hesitation.

Oh, great.

I ran to the window, and stopped. Sticking my head out of it, I looked below. A back alleyway, light by lampposts and the neon glow of the backs of stores and hotels. Out the window was a balcony. Below that, a drop.

But one that I could manage.

I scrambled through the window, the hauled myself over the edge of the balcony, and-

I was sliding down the roof, nearing the edge. There were a few free seconds where I hit the dead air between the roof edge and the ground, before I was crumpled with a thud against the hard stone.

It drove the wind from me, but I was forcing myself up, grabbing and swiping air. I could see Kaze, running down the alley, and Leon further ahead of her.

_Go, go, go. _

I was on my feet, shaky as they were, and running after them.

Leon stopped at what seemed like a dead end. Boxes and crates were stacked up, and it didn't seem like there was anywhere else to turn. "Karo, Hihoshi, you guys try to fend off some of the small fry with Aerith and Yuffie." He began spouting out orders. "Sora, Pinto, Kaze, come with me for the big boss."

The big boss?

I gulped. That _didn't _sound good.

Then he turned, and pushed through doors that were tucked around the corner. Kaze bolted through, then me, dread turning my stomach heavy as metal.

Looking around as my feet carried me onwards, I recognized the shops and lights of the Second District. I was guessing we must have been in the lower courtyard part. Over the hard, smoothly worn cobblestone we fled, across the courtyard and around a corner, into another narrower alleyway, where it became dimly lit with only lampposts besides doorways shedding light. I could hear Sora's footsteps behind me.

At the end of the alley, a door with the bright letters 'Third District' awaited.

"Try through there." Leon said hurriedly. When our feet slowed as we almost passed him, he added, "Good luck."

I skidded to a stop.

Kaze was faster. She spun around. "_What_?"

"You're not coming?" my mouth felt dry. I had seen him fight. I had been beaten by him. we needed him as an alley.

He shook his head. "I need to find Aerith and Yuffie."

Me legs stayed glued to the spot. I didn't speak. The taste of fear was strong in my mouth.

"Go!" he shouted, and Kaze turned and darted on.

"Come on, Pinto, we'll be fine." She called.

Sora grabbed my arm. "She's right."

I freed myself, following Sora and Kaze through the doors.

The Third District had bright neon lights, and simple, blue-grey buildings that all overlooked one courtyard. It was bright and full static in this part. The ground was made of smooth, shiny pale tiles, the walls similar.

Sora was the first to step forward. Hesitantly he moved out into the middle.

I made to follow him, when something fell from the sky.

A duck and a person that looked to be a mix between a dog and a turtle had flattened Sora.

"Sora!" Kaze jumped forward, her hand outstretched.

"Oh…" Sora wheezed.

Duck and Dog/Turtle arranged themselves, standing up and rubbing their heads, looking just as confused. Then they looked at the Keyblade, which lay in Sora's hand.

"The Key!" they shouted.

And the ground started rumbling.

They stumbled back, and Sora scrambled upright.

Seconds later, where Sora's head had been, a giant metal foot landed on the ground with an earsplitting crash.

"Sora!" I screamed.

He hauled himself to his feet, racing back to where we stood, hidden around the corner by the door.

Duck and Dog/Turtle took off towards us too, both shouting something.

I grabbed Sora by the arm, dragging him close to me as I peaked around the corner.

The foot didn't move. It had huge, fierce looking claws, and must have weighed a ton. Thank goodness it didn't move.

But the air was filled with anxiety and fear. The calm before a storm. My hands shook. I could barely breath. There was nothing but the tense silence.

We waited. My muscles began to ache from being cramped and clenched. Something was bound to happen-

Another foot fell.

Duck let out a squawk.

Still hanging off Sora's arm, I felt him flinch, then tremble.

A hand fell, the ring of metal on tile deafening. Then, the second hand.

The weight in my chest was crushing.

Another huge, massive piece of something fell. When it hit the ground, I swore my eardrums would explode. It settled to the ground, laying in heap with the rest of the unassembled body parts.

Heart pounding, my legs went rubbery as something round and big fell finally.

A head. I could see the face, the mouth.

It twitched. Moved. And then everything was moving. Hands, feet, torso, and head, assembled itself.

There was no breath in me to make a sound.

The metal body was moving. Twisting, rotating, and turning to face us.

This is what we would have to fight.

**Hehehe cliffy! **

**-Diamonds Rio Grande**


End file.
